Fix You
by princezsupastar
Summary: They had been friends for years, and been on many adventures together in their youth. But lately things had changed between them, bringing out long-suppressed feelings that could lead to something more. An alternate version of the infamous 'three years'.
1. Chapter 1

**FIX YOU **

_**Author's Note;** This story was once known as 'Hate Me, Love Me'_

_They had been friends for years, and been on many adventures together in their youth. But lately things had changed between them, bringing out long-suppressed feelings that could lead to something more. An alternate version of the infamous 'three years'._

_**Disclaimer; **I do not own Dragonball Z or anything DBZ related. The story does take place in the show's own storyline, but this is an alternate take on those events._

_The cover art is called '.:Goku X Bulma ...the kiss:.' by desertora001 and can be found on DeviantArt._

_This is a Goku/Bulma story. If you're offended by this, than please don't read. I'm not anti Vegeta/Bulma, I just like this pairing as well and wanted to write my own take on this relationship._

CHAPTER ONE

Goku spread his arms wide open with a yawn, before his beaming trademark smile broke onto his face. He'd had a terrific night's sleep, and the smell of breakfast wafted into his room. He turned to his right, noting the empty space in the bed where his wife should have been, and frowned. He couldn't remember the last time he had woken up to find her lying beside him, it had been many years. But instead of dwelling on that fact, Goku threw off the covers and sat up, running a hand through his spiky hair as he looked out the open window. The sun was shining and there weren't many clouds in the sky – a perfect day for training.

Once out of bed, Goku quickly got dressed and washed his face before hurrying to the kitchen, where he was not surprised to find his wife hovering over a full stove, muttering to herself as she stirred with one hand and sprinkled salt into a pot with the other. "Morning Chi-Chi! It certainly smells good in here!" Goku exclaimed brightly as he sat down in his favourite chair, watching her intently. Chi-Chi turned around quickly to glance at her husband before returning to the cooking, saying nothing.

Goku frowned. Things had certainly not been the same between them since he had returned from Namek. He could tell that Chi-Chi was definitely upset about something, but she was much too stubborn to tell him herself. He had tried to keep things as normal as possible, to get back into the old routine, but she would hardly speak to him, and it was worrying him quite a bit.

Unfortunately he had other things going on, such as his intense training in order to defeat the androids in three years when they were due to arrive. Trunks' warning echoed in this thoughts, and while he tried his best to remain focused on the task at hand, he also had his impending heart disease to think about as well.

The medicine Trunks had given him sat on his bedside table, a constant reminder that it was going to happen, but he hadn't been told an exact time, or what precisely would bring the sickness on. With all that worrying happening inside his normally carefree mind, he just didn't have the time to try and figure out what was going on with his marriage.

His train of thought was derailed as Chi-Chi placed a large bowl of rice in front of him, as well as an assortment of steamed fish and vegetables. The perfect breakfast, in Goku's eyes. His eyes lit up as he began to devour the food, not considering how fast he was eating it as Chi-Chi watched him, a hint of disgust in her features.

Once he was done, Goku sat back in his chair and patted his stomach, a sign of being full. "That was great! Thanks, Chi-Chi." he thanked his wife,but she was too busy clearing up the table and washing the dishes in the sink to reply. Goku sat up, now ready for the day ahead. But he was missing one vital thing. "Is Gohan up yet? We've got to get to our training, I'm sure Piccolo is waiting for us."

Something in Chi-Chi snapped, and she turned around to glare at her husband. "Are you kidding me?" she asked him seethingly, and Goku took a step backwards from her. He knew what Chi-Chi was capable of when she was angry, and did not want to incur her wrath. But unfortunately for Goku, it was much too late. "What do you mean?" he asked innocently, trying his best to understand why she was so furious.

"Ever since you came home, which took you much longer than it should, all you care about is training, training, training!" Chi-Chi yelled at him, snapping the handle of the scrubbing brush she was holding before she threw it away from her. "But I need to train, so I can beat the androids when they arrive." Goku explained, holding his hands out in front of him in defence. "Fine. Go and train. But don't expect to be taking Gohan with you. That boy is still capable of having a normal life, and Kami knows I will do anything to make that possible."

Goku cringed. He and Chi-Chi had always had different views when it came to their son, but he had always felt that Chi-Chi pushed him into studying much too hard. "But I need to train Gohan. He's going to be a crucial player in this upcoming battle." he protested, but one look of Chi-Chi's face shut him up. "Gohan needs to catch up on his homework." she replied sternly, turning away from Goku and getting back to washing the dishes.

"But-"

A large plate was thrown in Goku's direction, causing him to quickly duck before it smashed into the wall behind him, breaking into millions of little pieces. "Get out. I can't even look at you right now." Chi-Chi told Goku, her back to him. Goku looked down at the floor. "But Chi-Chi-" "Just go." Goku slowly made his way out of the kitchen, leaving his wife to settle down as he went outside.

His eyes instantly met with a large green being, who simply looked at him. "Hey Piccolo." Goku greeted the being, sighing as he did so. "Goku." Piccolo nodded his head in return, before turning his eyes on the kitchen window. "Listen Piccolo, I don't think I'm in the right state of mind to train today." Goku admitted, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. This had never happened to him before, where he had not wanted to do any training even when presented with the perfect opportunity.

Piccolo's eyes widened at Goku's words, it was almost unbelievable that he would say such a thing. But then again, he did not understand human interactions all that well, choosing to instead keep out of them. Goku looked up at him. "I think I might go and see Bulma. Could you stick around here and keep an eye on Gohan for me?" Piccolo merely nodded, and before he could say or do anything else, Goku's fingers went to his forehead and he vanished into thin air.

Back inside the Son home, Gohan trudged into the kitchen, rubbing sleep from his eyes. "Morning Mom." he greeted Chi-Chi, before realising that something was very wrong with her. Worry in his dark eyes, he approached her carefully, placing a small hand on her back. "Mom, are you okay? Where's Dad?" he asked, looking around. Surely Goku hadn't forgotten his promise of letting Gohan train with him today?

Chi-Chi glared into the bowl she was scrubbing. "I don't know and I don't care." she answered coolly, and Gohan moved back from her, sitting at the kitchen table. He was a smart kid, and was well aware that there was something very wrong between his parents, even if he couldn't fully understand why. He looked out the open window, hoping that things would get better soon, and that maybe his mother would cheer up. As if on cue, Chi-Chi placed a large bowl of food in front of her son, patting his head. "Eat up Gohan, you've got a lot of studying to do today."

* * *

"Yamcha, how could you?"

"What? I didn't ask for it, she just gave it to me!"

Bulma closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. It was the only thing she could do to prevent herself from wanting to scratch out her boyfriend's eyeballs. The day had started out well enough, Yamcha had asked her out to a lunch-date at a fancy restaurant, and she had happily accepted. But things had turned sour when instead of looking at Bulma with lustful eyes, his gaze had been misplaced on their waitress, who not only had thrown her ample chest in front of Yamcha with every chance she got, but had also had the nerve to give him her phone number.

"Well even so, you shouldn't have accepted it." she looked at the small piece of paper clenched in her hand, with a series of numbers scrawled across it accompanied by little hearts. With no hesitation, she swiftly tore it into many pieces, and threw them into the nearby rubbish bin. Yamcha's mouth gaped open. "What did you do that for?" he asked her, narrowing his eyes in annoyance. "Because surely you weren't going to call her, since you have a girlfriend, and therefore I was just saving you from having to throw it out."

Yamcha crossed his arms angrily, but had nothing to respond with. Bulma knew she had won this battle, but that the war still raged on. Since Yamcha had returned from the dead, things had been more difficult in their relationship than ever. As Bulma glared at her boyfriend, he turned towards the door. "I'm outta here." he announced, grabbing his jacket and leaving the room. Bulma simply watched him go, before turning towards her laboratory.

It seemed that all she and Yamcha ever seemed to do was break up and then get back together again. But that routine was getting stale, and now that Bulma was getting older she needed something stable. A proper relationship, where she could eventually see herself getting married and even having children. The more time she spent with Yamcha, the more she realised that they were never going to achieve those things, no matter how hard they tried.

Her thoughts were interrupted as a half-naked, sweaty man blocked her off in the hallway. "Woman, I require a meal." he demanded, placing his hands on his hips. But Bulma wasn't in the mood for Vegeta's antics today, she merely slipped past him and continued on her way. "Woman, did you hear me? I asked for a meal, and I suggest that you do as I ask." Bulma rolled her eyes but continued to walk. "Woman, I-" "Bite me." she retorted back, before disappearing into her laboratory, leaving the Saiyan Prince stunned in the hallway.

Sliding the door closed behind her, Bulma took in a deep breath, an attempt to clear her mind before a person suddenly appeared in front of her, making her scream loudly and back up against the door. But before she could analyse the situation, the door behind her slid open quickly, and she fell back into a pair of surprised and conflicted arms. "What is wrong with you woman?" Vegeta rasped, his cheeks blushing red as he set Bulma back into her feet and withdrew his arms.

"Oh, I'm sorry Bulma, I still haven't quite figured this technique perfectly yet." Goku apologised, holding out his hands. Vegeta grunted in response, before turning up his nose and leaving Bulma and Goku in the room. Bulma clutched her chest, trying to get her breathing under control. "That's alright, but just be a little more careful next time, yeah?" she told him, before a bright smile crossed her face. "Anyway, it's good to see you!" she exclaimed, moving close to Goku and placing her thin arms around his neck. "You too." Goku replied, wrapping his strong arms gently around her petite waist.

"So what brings you here?" Bulma asked, as the two broke the embrace. It was certainly nice to see her oldest and dearest friend, but Goku wasn't one to make visits a habit. Goku sighed. "Chi-Chi kinda threw me out for the day. She's been so angry at me since I came home, and I don't know why." he answered earnestly, and Bulma gave him a warm smile. "Well why don't I make us both some lemonade and we can have a chat?" "Sounds great."

After making their way upstairs, Bulma made her way into the kitchen and began to make the lemonade as Goku leaned on the counter, watching her with mild curiosity. "So, where's Yamcha?" he asked, looking around. He knew from Trunks that the relationship between Bulma and the scarred warrior was going to end, but he wasn't sure when. Bulma sighed. "I don't know. We had a fight and he left. That scumbag thought it was perfectly okay to get another girl's phone number!"

Goku cocked his head to the side in thought. "But why is that a bad thing? Maybe she wanted to just be friends with him?" he wondered aloud, but Bulma merely shook her head. "I saw the way she flirted with him, there is no way that she would just want to be friends. Besides, it's almost impossible for girls and guys to be just friends."

Goku's face scrunched up in confusion. "But we're friends, right?"

Bulma stopped in the middle of stirring, Goku's question replaying in her mind. There were things that she had long buried when it came to the younger man, feelings and emotions that were not permitted when it came to her friendship with him. She could feel them beginning to swell, but swiftly pushed them away. "Of course. I didn't say it was impossible, just _almost_ impossible."

Goku laughed, and she breathed a quiet sigh of relief. "That makes sense." he replied, his eyes lighting up as she poured the lemonade into two tall glasses and handed him one. "Just don't drink it all in one go." she teased him, before leading him outside to the balcony, her favourite place to just sit down and chill out.

Bulma took one seat, Goku following suite and sitting down in the one opposite her, taking in a deep gulp of the lemonade before letting out a rather loud burp promptly. "Oops, sorry." he apologised, letting out a chuckle. Bulma couldn't help but giggle a bit herself, before taking in a deep breath. "So," she began, taking a sip of her cool drink before continuing, "What's going on at home?"

Goku's goofy demeanour vanished as his face turned serious. "All Chi-Chi does is yell at me. And that's if she actually talks to me. I know she's angry with me, but no matter how many times I ask her, she won't tell me." he explained, resting his head on his propped-up arm. "And I don't know how to make her happy again."

Bulma sighed. She could understand why Chi-Chi was upset, but not why she would refuse to talk about it with her husband. She knew that this would be hard for Goku to hear, but it needed to be said all the same. "Goku, I'm pretty sure that Chi-Chi is feeling abandoned by you right now." she explained, trying to figure out the best way to tell it to him. Goku was a simple man, a reflection of his upbringing, and she wouldn't be able to over-analyse things because she was certain that he would not be able to follow her at all.

Goku raised an eyebrow. "Abandoned?" he questioned, his eyebrows knitting together as he tried to understand. "Well, it's been an eventful few years. First of all, you were dead for a whole year, and then when you came back, you fought the Saiyans and ended up in hospital for a few weeks. Then as soon as you got better, you went and left for Namek, and it took you a while to get home. And now that you're finally home, you spend all of your time training." Bulma replied, before taking a much-needed drink of her lemonade.

Goku's eyes trailed down to the table. Bulma had a point. He'd hardly spent any quality time with his wife in the last few years, that was true, but it wasn't for lack of trying. When Goku and Chi-Chi spent time together, it mainly had always consisted of Chi-Chi cooking and Goku eating. "You're right." he exclaimed, holding his hands over his face. Bulma leaned over and pulled Goku's hands down so that she could look at him. "The best thing to do is to think back on why you fell in love with her in the first place."

Goku swallowed guiltily. The truth was, he had never been in love with Chi-Chi, no matter how hard he had tried. He certainly admired her, and would have hated for anything nasty to happen to her, but he had never felt love when it came to his wife. He didn't even fully understand what the word meant, or what the emotion even felt like. He had only ever had strong feelings towards one person in his life, but had never discussed them with anyone, simply because he had never understood what those feelings had meant.

And then he had agreed to marry Chi-Chi, making up for a promise he had made in his youth, not fully understanding what marriage really meant. He liked Chi-Chi enough, but he always felt that she had much stronger feelings for him than he had for her. In the course of their marriage, they had only been intimate a number of times, one of them resulting in their son.

Goku had hoped that over the years his relationship with Chi-Chi would develop and grow, but it seemed that they had headed in the opposite direction. It made him feel like a failure, a feeling he was not well accustomed with. He could destroy the most powerful being in the universe, but could not fix his marriage. But that didn't mean that he wasn't going to attempt it. He would spend some time with Bulma first, and give Chi-Chi some time to settle down, and then go back home and try to sort thing our.

After finishing their drinks on the balcony, Bulma led Goku back to her laboratory, where he watched her build some new battle droids, obviously for the arrogant warrior that was currently residing in the compound. Goku wondered how long it would take for Bulma and Vegeta to get together, as much as he secretly wished deep down that it wouldn't happen. But Goku wasn't one to harbour negative thoughts, and quickly pushed it out of his system.

Before either of them knew it, the sun was beginning to go down, signalling the end of the day and Goku's time to return home. He gave his best friend one last hug, holding her as tight as he could without being in the danger of crushing her bones. "Good luck." she told him, stepping back as Goku raised two fingers to his forehead. "Thanks." he smiled back at her, raising his other hand in a wave before disappearing before her eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

_This chapter is dedicated to **Enula** for her awesome review that totally made my day. Thank you so so much, it was actually your story 'Just One Week' that made me want to write my own Bulma/Goku fic. :D_

CHAPTER TWO

"Yamcha, what are you doing?"

Yamcha didn't reply, but stayed bent on one knee, looking up at Bulma, who's face was a mix of emotions, some of which he recognised and did his best to ignore. He had been planning this day for weeks now, and it seemed like the perfect time to further his relationship with the aqua-haired woman. Things between them hadn't been going so well, and this was sure to be their salvation.

"Bulma Briefs, will you marry me?"

Silence met his ears, and Bulma merely stared down at him, frozen with hesitation. That wasn't a good sign. But Yamcha was determined to get the answer he wanted. "Babe, I love you, and we've been together for so long, surely it's about time we make it official." Bulma still did not respond, and Yamcha stood up, gently placing his hands on her slender shoulders. "Bulma, did you hear me?" he asked, looking down at her with worry.

Bulma looked up at him. "I'm sorry." she whispered, but Yamcha didn't understand what context she meant the apology in. "That's alright, but I'm still waiting for an answer." he replied, a hopeful grin crossing his scarred features. Bulma shook her head. "I meant I'm sorry, but I can't accept." she explained, her body tensing up as she watched him carefully as he absorbed the information, letting go off her shoulders and stepping back. "Yamcha?" she asked carefully, holding out a hand.

"Why? Why would you say no? I thought marriage was what you wanted, Bulma." Yamcha spoke, his voice rising as Bulma winced. Yamcha's eyes grew wide. "It's not because of Vegeta, is it? Because if that's it, than you're-" "Well, I'd certainly be a more efficient upgrade." Both Bulma and Yamcha turned to the doorway to see Vegeta, an amused smirk on his face. Yamcha turned back to Bulma. "I can't believe you!" he spat, and her eyebrows narrowed back at him. "This has nothing to do with Vegeta."

Yamcha rolled his eyes angrily. "Sure, sure, I bet you've slept with him already." Bulma gasped as her hands flew to her chest, tears burning in her eyes. "How could you even think something like that?" she asked him, the hurt clear in her voice. Vegeta gave a snort. "I have much better things to do with my time than affiliate with the female."

Yamcha took a step back, realising that he had just falsely accused Bulma. "Oh, Kami, I'm so, so sorry Bulma, I didn't mean to-" "Yes you did, Yamcha. And you know what? I don't want to marry you, I don't even want to be anywhere near you right now. You can pack up your things and go." Bulma interrupted her scarred companion. She couldn't continue the relationship, not when Yamcha had wounded her so much with his words.

To her surprise, Yamcha did not protest, but slinked out of the room. Bulma wiped away the tears that built up in her eyes, determined not to break down. She knew that it was never going to work out between them, but it was still hard to accept that it was over. They had had some good times in the past, along with the bad, and the best she could do was hope that they could remain friends.

She had forgotten Vegeta was in the room until he spoke. "Well, that was entertaining. Now woman, get me a drying cloth and some fresh garments. I wish to take a shower." Bulma shot a venomous glare at him. "Do it yourself." she replied, before stalking out of the room.

+-+

Meanwhile, at the Son residence, Goku was trying his hardest to get Chi-Chi to open up and talk to him. Since arriving home the night before, he had tried his best to resolve their issues, but to no avail. Chi-Chi had simply refused to talk to him, only serving him up his large dinner and then going to bed quite early. At least she was still sleeping in the same bed as him.

But seeing the look on his son's face had devastated Goku, Gohan was definitely a smart kid, and was seemingly aware that there was something going on with his parents. Tucking into Gohan that night, Goku had tried his best to assure his son that everything was going to be alright, but knew deep down that he was making empty promises. But Goku was determined to set things right, and after learning that Gohan had gone off on a fishing trip for the day with his grandpa, The Ox King, Goku had taken the chance to have a serious talk with his wife.

He walked into the kitchen, where he knew he would find her. She spent most of her time in there, bustling around the stove. Goku knew that he was one to eat quite a lot, and was very much appreciative that his wife spent much time cooking to satisfy his Saiyan hunger, but she didn't need to devote all of her time to the kitchen. Goku walked up behind Chi-Chi and gently placed his hands on her shoulders, surprised and slightly hurt when she flinched slightly at his touch. "Chi-Chi, please, talk to me."

Chi-Chi gave no answer, simply shrugging his hands off her shoulders and continuing to cut up a number of carrots. Goku sighed, but was not ready to admit defeat. He went and sat down in his chair, taking in a deep breath as he tried to figure out what to say. "Alright then, I'll talk. Obviously you're angry at me, and I think I know why."

"Oh really." came the response, but Chi-Chi did not turn to face him, so Goku continued. "I'm a bad husband. Over the last few years, I haven't been around for you, or for Gohan. And I'm sorry. But I'm trying to change that all now, I'm trying to make us a family again." Chi-Chi finally turned around, her features dark. "How do you expect us to be a family when all you care about is training all the time?"

Goku winced, knowing that he'd walked right into that one. "I need to train. Knowing what the future holds for all of us, I need to defeat the androids so that the world can be safe." "And what if this prediction is wrong? What if there is no androids? Then you've gone and wasted three years of your life abandoning your family for nothing."

Goku knew that Trunks was no liar. He could tell that the lavender-haired warrior was the real deal, he could see both parents in his features and there was no other possible way to explain his Saiyan blood. "Bulma said that you guys have been constantly abandoned by me." he sighed, not noticing the rage that was burning under his wife's skin. "You spoke to Bulma about this?" Chi-Chi hissed, clenching the knife she held in her fist even tighter.

"Only briefly, I had to talk to someone, you wouldn't even look at me." Goku couldn't understand why Chi-Chi had gotten so angry when he had mentioned Bulma's name, as far as he knew the two women got on alright. "And so you go running to Bulma. Typical." Chi-Chi retorted, throwing the knife down on the cutting board before making her way over to the table, where Goku sat up, unsure of his wife's intentions.

"Well, she's a woman, so I thought maybe she would be able to help me understand things better." Goku explained as Chi-Chi sat down opposite him, taking in a deep breath. "But there's more to it than that, isn't there?" she asked Goku, surprising him with how soft and sad her tone was. "How do you mean?" Goku asked innocently, trying his best to understand just what was happening.

Chi-Chi let out a sigh. "Goku, as long as I've known you and loved you, I've tried my best to ignore the fact that you just didn't feel the same way about me." Goku went to interrupt but she held up a hand and continued. "Even when we got married I thought that I would be able to change your feelings but I couldn't, and I can't."

Goku gave his wife a look of utter confusion. "Chi-Chi, what are you talking about?"

"Bulma." Chi-Chi replied, looking at her husband. "You've loved her since the day you met her, even if you couldn't understand your feelings then, or acknowledge them. I've always known, I just chose not to think about it." Goku sat back in his chair, amazed at what his wife was saying. "Chi-Chi, I don't know what you're saying. Bulma is just my friend."

Chi-Chi stood up, her eyebrows narrowing as she looked at her husband. "Don't lie to me Goku. Don't you dare sit there and tell me that deep down, you don't have feelings for Bulma." Goku's mind was going haywire, something that didn't happen all too often. As much as he tried to fight it, he knew that indeed, deep down in his heart, there was something more there when it came to his aqua-haired friend. "But I..." he trailed off, unsure of what to say.

Chi-Chi turned back to her cooking. "I don't want to talk about it anymore." she replied, and Goku could hear the bitterness in her voice. His shoulders slumped forward, he didn't seem able to make anyone happy these days, and when he tried, everything just got worse. The best thing he could do was train with Piccolo, and leave Chi-Chi alone.

Without another word, he went outside and found the Namekian sitting on his favourite rock, in deep meditation. Piccolo opened one eye at Goku's arrival, before standing up and looking at the spiky-haired man. "Looks like you need to get some things off your mind." he commented, and Goku merely nodded in reply. With Piccolo's amazing hearing, he surely had heard everything that had transpired between Chi-Chi and himself.

The two took off into the sky, heading towards their favourite training place in the forest, a clearing that Goku had loved ever since he had been a little boy, where his Grandpa Gohan had begun to teach him martial arts at a tender age. They landed, and Piccolo immediately took a stance, Goku following suite. Without another word, Piccolo aimed a high kick at Goku's head, which he blocked with crossed arms before delivering a blow to the Namekian's stomach.

An hour or two later, both Piccolo and Goku were standing opposite each other, breathing heavily. "Goku." Piccolo called to his companion, who lifted his head up. "Yeah?" "I want you to ascend into a Super Saiyan for me. I want to fight with you at your best." Goku stood up straight, hands in fists at his sides. "Are you sure?" he asked the green being uncertainly, knowing just how much more powerful he would become in the transformation. "Yes." "Well, okay then."

With a loud yell, Goku powered up, his hair almost instantly turning golden and his eyes teal as his body burst with an almost blinding yellow light. But there was something terribly wrong. He didn't feel all that well once he had completed the transformation, his chest began to tighten and he was finding it harder to breathe. But he shook it off to the fact that he was simply tired, and grinned at his opponent. "Are you ready?"

Piccolo gave no answer, but flew straight at Goku, aiming a punch in his face. Goku dodged, and tripped Piccolo with his left leg before swinging around and kicking him with his right. His chest tightened again, and Goku gripped at it with his hands, failing to notice that Piccolo was on the offence once more, aiming a powerful kick towards his head. This time Goku did not duck, he was in too much pain and instead was hit with the full force of the blow, sending him metres in the air until he landed on the grass.

Hunched over, Goku struggled to breath, and he could no longer hold onto his transformation. His eyes and hair returned to their natural raven colour, as beads of sweat dripped down his face. Piccolo landed next to him, obviously concerned for his former rival. "Goku, what's wrong?" he asked, trying to figure it out for himself. "My...chest." Goku managed to reply, his face contorted in pain.

"Oh no, the heart virus!" Piccolo exclaimed, sending Goku into shock. It was too early for him to be sick now, surely, Trunks hadn't said anything about it happening so soon. Before he could say anything, Piccolo picked him up and flung him over his shoulder, before flying to the Son house in record speed. Laying Goku down on the grass beside the front door, the Namekian rushed inside the house, into the kitchen where he knew Chi-Chi would be.

She turned around, obviously startled by the green being's presence. "What are you doing in my house? What do you want?" she asked him rudely, stirring a large pot on the stove. "Goku's medicine, where is it?" Piccolo asked, obviously on edge. "On the bedside table." she answered, turning away from him. Piccolo rushed into the bedroom, finding the small bottle before returning to the kitchen. "Your husband is very sick." he informed Chi-Chi, but she gave him no reply.

Piccolo had no time to care about Goku and Chi-Chi's marital issues, and made his way back outside to where Goku was attempting to stand up, his hand clutching his chest. "Goku." Piccolo said, handing him the bottle. "Thanks." Goku replied, trying his best to give the Namekian a smile. "Your wife, she-" "No need to bother her with this. She already has enough on her plate. Look after Gohan for me." Goku told him, before shakingly raising two fingers to his forehead and disappearing once again.

+-+

Back at Capsule Corporation, Bulma was busy working in her laboratory, trying to distract herself from the day's events. Yamcha had swiftly collected his things and left, without saying another word to her. She hoped that eventually they would be able to be friends again, because while she did not love him anymore, she still cared for him.

She knew that Vegeta would be happy with Yamcha gone, he was always boasting about being responsible for his death only a few years ago. It made Bulma want to punch him in the face, but then that would alert the Saiyan Prince to the fact that it annoyed her. So instead she kept quiet, and tried to avoid the arrogant warrior as much as possible. And he made it easy, spending most of his time training in the gravity chamber.

Suddenly, she became aware of another presence in the room. She turned around, a smile beaming on her face. "Goku! I must say, it's a rather nice surprise to see you twice in two..." she trailed off, her smile faltering as she realised that Goku was in intense pain, clutching his chest and breathing raggedly. "Bulma." he spoke hoarsely, holding out a small bottle to her.

Bulma took the bottle, but before she could do anything else, Goku swiftly collapsed in her arms.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

"_Hello?"_

"Chi-Chi? Hey, it's Bulma."

"_...Bulma?"_

"Yeah. Look, I don't want to freak you out or anything, but I've got Goku here and...well, he's not feeling so great."

"_Oh."_

"So would you like me to bring him back home or do you want to come out here and get him?"

"_No. It's best that he stays there. With you."_

"What? I mean, sure Goku will be able to get the best care in the city but I'm pretty sure he'd rather be in the comforts of home."

"_I don't want him here."_

"But Chi-Chi, he's your husband..."

"_I've got too many things to do and taking care of a sick husband is the last thing I need. Gohan needs to concentrate on his studies, and his father being here would just be a distraction."_

"Chi-Chi, I know you and Goku are going through a bit of a rough patch, but don't you think this is taking things a little too far?"

"_Bulma, I'm going to be honest with you. You and I both know that if Goku were to...die, there's only one person he would want by his side."_

"...You think he's going to die?"

Bulma was only met with the beeping tone, signalling that Chi-Chi had hung up the phone on the other end. She leaned back in her chair, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened. Her blue eyes slid over to where the now sleeping Goku lay, his face no longer contorted in agony. She wondered if he had heard her end of the conversation in his sleep, if he knew that his wife did not seem to care if he lived or died.

Turning the small bottle of medicine in her hand, Bulma tried to remember what Goku had told the group after the mysterious stranger had arrived. It had been many months now, and the only part that had really stuck in her mind was being told that all of her friends would be killed by two ruthless androids, and that Goku would die from a heart illness that was rare and barely known.

Goku was supposed to die from the sickness, and yet in her hand she held the cure, medicine that had been brought back from many years in the future, for the sole purpose of keeping Goku alive and well. Bulma remembered liking the lavender-haired boy, seeming as he was a fan of her family's company and an all-out cool kid, but the fact that he had risked disturbing time to save a man she cared about so much? That would put anyone in Bulma's good books.

Bulma needed to clear her mind, and decided a glass of ice-cold water would do the trick. After making sure that Goku was comfortable, she headed to the kitchen, not surprised to see a familiar face glumly glaring at her as she entered the room. If Vegeta was not in the gravity chamber or his sleeping quarters, he was in the kitchen, demanding food or waiting for someone to walk in and take his orders. But as per usual, Bulma just didn't have the time or the energy to deal with an arrogant Saiyan prince.

"Where on earth have you been woman? Both the fools you call parents are out and I've had no idea where you are. I'm hungry, and I need sustenance. Immediately." Vegeta exclaimed, crossing his arms and trying to stare down at the aqua-haired woman, even though she was a good inch or two taller than him. Bulma simply ignored him, pulling out a glass and a pitcher of water from the fridge, pouring herself a drink.

Taking a large sip, she felt the cool water make it's way down through her body, feeling almost instantly refreshed and much better. Placing the pitcher back in the fridge, she grabbed the glass and proceeded to make her way out of the room, before a hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, tightening it's grip as she struggled to break free.

"Did I not make myself clear to you woman? I suggest you turn yourself back around, and get busy cooking." Vegeta's dark eyes were almost like daggers, and if Bulma had not have been so stubborn and strong-willed she probably would have done as he asked. But instead she pulled her wrist out from his grasp, and walked over to a small notice board on the wall, pulling off a piece of paper and handing it to him.

"Now listen here Vegeta. I'm not your personal servant, and neither are my parents. We don't live our lives day to day, wishing to do nothing but serve you. You need to stop depending on people so much, and fend for yourself. I would have thought that you be able to do that already, judging from your history, but it seems that being beaten by Goku has softened you up way too much."

Vegeta simply stared at her, his eyes wide, unable to respond in any way. Bulma smirked at him, before turning to leave once again. "Toughen up, big guy." she added offhandedly, and walked through the doorway, leaving Vegeta stunned in the kitchen. Never had anyone ever spoken to him in such a manner, especially not a woman. A smirk slowly broke out on his lips. Now that was the kind of woman he needed. Stubborn and proud, just like him. Not that he would ever admit this to anyone, of course. But now that the thought had been placed in his mind, Vegeta was determined to claim the woman as his own.

Once back in room that held the sleeping Goku, Bulma sat back down in her chair and took another sip of her water. There were so many things going on in her mind, and she wasn't sure on what to focus on. Her break-up with Yamucha was still playing heavily on her thoughts, and Bulma's worry and concern for the sickly Goku was also constantly there. She closed her eyes and sighed, before leaning forward and holding her head in her hands. It was almost too much to deal with.

"_...there's only one person he would want by his side."_

Bulma's eyes snapped open as Chi-Chi's words echoed in her head. What had she meant by that? Surely Goku would want his loved ones to be surrounding him, his wife and his son. But Chi-Chi had insisted that Goku stay at Capsule Corporation, with Bulma instead. Could that mean Chi-Chi believed that her husband had stronger feelings for someone else that wasn't her?

Bulma hardly dared to believe it. She'd given up hope many years ago, when Chi-Chi and Goku had wed, when she realised that her feelings were insoluble and unrequited. She pushed those emotions and thoughts deep down, and kept them there, hoping that they would never resurface, and threaten the strong friendship she had with Goku. She wasn't sure what she would do without him, the possibility of not having Goku around terrified her to the core, and so she tried her hardest not to let those thoughts seep in.

When she had first met Goku, she had thought of him as a small, simple kid, who didn't really have a clue about anything. Sure he was cute, but like a puppy or something. Over time the friendship between them had grown, and Bulma was constantly in awe of how much Goku grew over those early years, both in strength and mind. He had learnt so much, and become such an extraordinary fighter.

In that time, Bulma had met Yamcha, and inadvertently become the cure for his phobia of girls. She had been instantly attracted to him, he was rugged and handsome, with a bad streak that made Bulma like him even more. Goku had always asked her about relationships after that, not understanding what made a boy and a girl like each other so much. Goku's innocence amused Bulma a great deal, and she had promised him that one day he would find out for himself.

Then there were a few years where Bulma did not see her small spiky-haired friend, although she had constantly wondered what he was up to, what adventures he was having without her. Then the 23rd Tenkaichi Tournament had come along once again, and the group of fighters were reunited. Bulma remembered the first time she had seen Goku there, he had been wearing a turban around his head, covering his tell-tale hair. None of them could believe that it was their young friend, he had grown up so much since they had last seen each other. But the turban was then taken off, revealing the truth.

"_It's unbelievable! Who would have thought Goku could grow up to be so tall and handsome!"_

That was the the turning point for Bulma, when she stopped seeing her friend as just a kid, instead looking at him like the man he had become. Although she was happy to see Yamcha on that same day, having been quite some time since she had seen him, Bulma couldn't help but by distracted by Goku. It was as if he had transformed before her very eyes, and everything about him drew her to him. Not that he was aware enough to notice.

Before Bulma had gotten a chance to spend any real time with Goku, the tournament had begun, and by the quarter finals Goku had managed to get himself engaged.

She had always wondered about his motives that day. He had fought Chi-Chi, not even knowing exactly who she was, although she made it quite clear throughout the match that she was angry with him about something. Once defeated, she revealed her identity, and that as a child Goku had promised to marry her. Only Goku had believed that a bride was somehow connected with food, and obviously never meant to actually marry her.

Upon seeing Chi-Chi's devastated face, Goku asked her to marry him.

Since then, Bulma had hidden all feelings and thoughts about Goku that were not allowed. Despite this, over the years her affection for her younger friend had grown considerably, not that she would ever admit it to anyone. It simply wasn't permitted, Goku was married and even had a son. Bulma wasn't the type of woman who would so willingly break up a family and hurt a young boy for her own selfish desires.

She looked over at Goku again, noticing that his forehead was beginning to get quite sweaty. Sighing, she stood up and walked over to the small basin in the corner of the room, retrieving a small bowl and cloth from under it and filling the bowl with cool water. Bulma then returned to Goku, sitting on the edge of the bed as she leaned over and gently pressed the damp cloth to his head. She wondered what was going on in there, if he was having nightmares as an effect of his virus, if he was aware of what was happening around him.

Without warning the door behind her flew open, and Bulma turned to meet eyes with another Saiyan, this one in an obvious grumpy mood. He strode into the room, turning his nose up at the sickly Goku. "Woman, your infernal machine is broken. Again. If you know what's good for you, you will go and fix it." he sneered, leaning upon the wall she was currently facing.

Bulma simply chose to ignore him once more, a skill she had become more apt with over the passing months. But she was no fool, and was quite aware that Vegeta was just as stubborn as herself. Instead, she opted to change the subject. "So, did you call the number that I gave you?" she inquired, still patting down Goku's face with the cloth. Vegeta grunted. "Yes, but I was informed that my meal will not be ready for another hour. So I decided to resume my training."

"Well then, what are you doing here?" Bulma asked, raising a single blue eyebrow at him. "You should consider getting your ears checked, woman. As I said before, the machine is broken, and I cannot train until you fix it." Vegeta replied coolly, his own eyebrows narrowing at her. "But surely Vegeta, you can just train outside for the time being. That shouldn't kill you."

Vegeta stood up off the wall. "I am not asking you to fix your machine, I am demanding that you do it." he seethed, but Bulma wasn't in the mood for his antics. "Vegeta, quite clearly I am preoccupied. I will get to fixing the gravity room when I have the chance. Until then, you'll just have to learn a little something that we humans call _patience._" Bulma told him, giving Goku's face one last wipe-down before she stood up and returned the bowl and washer to the basin.

"Kakarott is sleeping. He does not require any assistance from you." Vegeta pointed out, obviously not aware of what was truly going on with his sworn rival. "No, Goku is sick, and I have to stay with him at all times, just in case something happens." Bulma explained, resuming her large seat near the bed and turning her head to look at Vegeta, who looked like he was in deep thought.

Vegeta was actually being reminded of an incident only a few months earlier, when he had been training in the Gravity Chamber and let out a too-powerful blast, destroying the chamber and almost himself in the chamber. He remembered waking up in the medical bay, to see the aqua-haired woman asleep on the desk beside him, obviously not wanting to leave his side. He had often wondered what that gesture had meant, and now it seemed like he was getting some kind of answer.

Before he could say anything to her about it though, Goku began to move on the bed, violently thrashing around in the sheets, his face contorted once more with agonising pain. Panicking, Bulma stood up quickly and grabbed the small bottle of medicine from the table beside her. She moved over to the bed, trying to avoid the many limbs that were flailing everywhere, but failed to miss the fist that aimed itself at her face.

Suddenly Bulma was thrown backwards, flying towards the wall behind her. She closed her eyes and waited for the impact, but it never came. She collided with something else instead, it's surface still hard but warm. Her feet landed on the floor and she instantly turned around, surprised once more to see that Vegeta had saved her. It had been the second time in two days, it was almost as if he was making a habit of it.

She went to thank him, but Vegeta's eyes were focused in horror at her face, and she stepped back from him. "What is it?" she asked, the excruciating pain coming from her face finally getting into her system. "Your nose." Vegeta stated, as Bulma covered her face with her hands, trying her best not to cry out in pain. She heard a loud groan come from behind her, and she was reminded of what was happening.

"Vegeta, I need you to grab a hold of Goku while I give him some of his medicine." she told the Saiyan Prince, who merely looked at her. "Why would I want to do that?" he questioned her, crossing his arms as he did so. "Dammit Vegeta we don't have time for this just do as I say!" she yelled back at him, and it seemed to do the trick.

Vegeta moved over to Goku, expertly dodging the limbs that were flying out everywhere, and managed to pin him down, although not without a struggle. "Hurry it up, woman! I can't keep him like this for much longer!" Vegeta groaned, his face growing redder by the minute as he attempted to keep his rival immobile.

Bulma almost flew over to the table, quickly unscrewing the cap of the medicine bottle as she did so and pouring a small dosage of the purple liquid into his mouth. Then she moved back, motioning for Vegeta to do the same. Goku returned to his thrashing, but not for much longer, and within seconds he was lying still once more, his face peaceful and his breathing normal.

Bulma let out a sigh of relief, before moving back to the bed and straightening out the sheet that covered Goku, Vegeta watching on with intense curiosity. Once she was done, she caught sight of her hands, and realised that they were covered with blood. Horrified, she returned her hands to her face, feeling a warm wetness that confirmed that Goku had involuntarily done some damage.

She rushed over to the basin, grabbing the washer and began to clean her hands, the water going instantly red before she attended to her face, cringing at the pain that accompanied it. Once she was certain that the blood was mostly gone, she turned to face Vegeta, who was still watching her. "Can you look after him while I quickly go to the doctor's? I won't be long, I promise." she pleaded, knowing that she was in urgent need of medical attention.

"I don't see why I should. I might be tempted into causing him some damage." Vegeta replied, the seriousness on his face worrying Bulma greatly. "Why would you do that?" she asked him, hoping to Kami that he wouldn't lay one finger on Goku. "Because the bastard broke your nose, that's why."

Bulma's mouth gaped open, but she shut it quickly. As much as she wanted to question why Vegeta was so riled up about Goku accidentally hurting her, the pain coming from her nose was slowly becoming unbearable. "He didn't mean to, and I won't hold it against him. Just make sure he's alright, give him his medicine – just a small bit – if he has another episode. Promise me that you won't do anything rash." Bulma reasoned, and as Vegeta finally gave her a curt nod in response she ran out of the room.

Vegeta turned around to look at Goku, knowing that his promise to the woman was the only thing keeping him from tearing the sleeping man's flesh apart.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

It was night by the time Bulma returned home, a small white bandage across her nose that was accompanied by a rather large bruise that was a deep shade of purple. Her nose seemed to be swollen twice it's normal size and it hurt every time she made any sort of facial movement, but Bulma wouldn't hold it against Goku in the slightest. It had only been an accident, he obviously could not control his strength or his movements in his sleep, and she knew that Goku would never intentionally harm her.

However, it seemed that Vegeta was not as forgiving.

Bulma was trying to understand what had riled him up so much, that Goku accidentally punching her made him so enraged with the sleeping man. It was a side of Vegeta she had never seen before, and truthfully it intrigued her greatly. Perhaps there was something more under the surface when it came to the Saiyan Prince, maybe he was capable of having emotions like any other person.

As soon as Bulma entered the house she made her way to the room where she lad left both Saiyans, breathing a sigh of relief as she saw Goku, still sleeping soundly and unharmed. Vegeta glanced up at her, leaning against the far wall, his arms crossed as per usual. As she entered the room however, he returned onto his feet, and approached her, his features tinged with curiosity as he analysed her face with his dark eyes.

It made her slightly uncomfortable, Vegeta's gaze was unwavering and she felt her cheeks go warm before he stopped in front of her, black looking into blue. "Is there permanent damage?" he asked her, raising one eyebrow slightly with his question. Bulma shook her head. "Thankfully no, but it was certainly close. The doctor set my nose straight again, and all I have to really do is keep the bandage on, and wait for the swelling to go down as well as the bruising to fade." she explained, dropping her purse on the table before moving over to Goku.

"He had another...episode, shortly after you departed. I gave him the medicine as you ordered, and he returned to his slumber once more, and has remained so." Vegeta told the aqua-haired woman, who quickly gave Goku a soft stroke on his cheek, amazing Vegeta. Never had he seen such a gesture, it made his curiosity peak to unnatural heights as he continued to watch her. Suddenly, everything about the woman fascinated him, from her way of words to her mannerisms, no matter how small or insignificant she thought them to be.

"Well, thanks for your help, Vegeta. I really appreciate it." Bulma turned to Vegeta and gave him a smile, before cringing at the pain it brought her. He merely gave her a curt nod in return, before taking up his post against the wall once more. Bulma looked over at him, wondering why he was choosing to remain in the room. "Hey, Vegeta, I was just wondering...why you're still here, I mean, in the room? I thought that once I came back you'd be flying out of here as fast as you could." she gave a small chuckle, trying not to disturb her features too much.

Vegeta looked up at the ceiling. "Kakarott may well have another...episode, as you call it, and it would seem that you are not physically capable to handle him on your own." he answered simply, and Bulma understood where he was coming from, and couldn't help but feel some gratitude towards her houseguest. "Oh, okay, fair enough...thanks." she smiled at him once more, this time doing her best to ignore the hurt emitting from her nose as she did so.

He gave no response, and Bulma sat down in the chair she had placed beside Goku's bed, The medication the doctor had given her was beginning to make her feel quite drowsy, but she was determined to stay awake for as long as she could. A low growl rumbled in her stomach, reminding her that she had not yet eaten anything. She looked back over to Vegeta, raising an eyebrow carefully as she did. "So, has your order of food arrived yet?" "No, and I am growing impatient." Vegeta replied, his face darkening.

Bulma quickly turned to the table and picked up the phone that sat upon it, dialling a number quickly and placing the receiver to her ear. The phone rang for only a few seconds before it picked up at the other end.

"_Hello, Tong's Noodle House, hay my I help you this evening?"_

"Hi, I was inquiring about an order that was made earlier this evening, it seems that we haven't received it yet and wondering if I could possibly add something to it?"

"_That should be fine, could I get the name on the order?"_

"Uh, Vegeta?"

"_...no, I'm sorry, there's no name like that on the list of orders...."_

Bulma thought for a moment. "How about Saiyan?"

"_Hang on, now that does sound familiar, oh here we go, it says here..."_

"...The Prince of All Saiyans?"

"_Heh, yeah, that's it all right."_

"Oh Kami...uh, sorry about that, my...friend, he's a bit...delusional."

Vegeta threw her a menacing scowl, but Bulma simply ignored him.

"Anywho, I wanted to just add a serving of Pad Thai to that order?"

"_Sure thing, I will let the chef know. It's quite a big order, and I believe that they are very close to finishing it all up, so it should be delivered soon."_

"Sounds fantastic. Thank you very much, and have a good night."

"_Thank you ma'am, you too."_

Bulma set the phone back down, now eagerly awaiting the arrival of the food. She was starving, and once she had some food in her system she would be able to take a nap. She gave a yawn, and then placed the back of her hand on Goku's forehead. She was aware that Saiyans had a normal temperature that was much warmer than a human, so the heat that was searing against her skin did not worry her much. In fact, she was pleased, it was much cooler than it had been a few hours ago, which meant that the medicine was working.

+-+

Goku looked around, unaware of his surroundings. This place was unfamiliar to him, full of obscure aromas and colours. He crouched down low, his arms in front of him in a defensive stance, preparing himself for the unknown. He could feel a large ki that was beginning to swell nearby, and he knew that it was never good news. He closed his eyes, trying to locate the energy source, when suddenly a noise from behind him alerted him to another presence.

"Bulma!"

She stood before him, the sunlight that beamed down onto her ivory skin making her look more beautiful than he ever could have imagined. Her aquamarine hair was silky and long, and almost seemed to sparkle as she took another step towards him. But something was wrong, the smile that normally accompanied Bulma's bright face was missing, her features instead tainted with an immense sadness.

But it was her eyes that worried him the most, he could see fright in her deep blue orbs. But it wasn't fear of him, no, it was almost as if she was scared _for_ him.

Without warning, a mechanical being appeared behind her, it's metallic hand making it's way to Bulma's slender neck, obviously clamping down hard as she began to struggle out of it's grip. The android moved it's arm up into the air, taking Bulma off the ground with it, her legs flailing in every direction as she tried to escape the monster's grasp.

Goku moved to help her, but two arms that felt like iron wrapped themselves around his torso, and he was trapped. He tried to turn around to see what was holding him back, his eyes widening as he glimpsed his captor, another mechanical person like the one that had Bulma. Goku let out a yell and attempted to ascend into a Super Saiyan, but it failed. All Goku could do now was watch helplessly as the other android strangled his best friend.

Bulma held out one outstretched arm to Goku, tears sliding down her face as she did so, letting out one last gasp of air. Then the arm dropped, and her legs stopped moving and hung down from her body, motionless. Her once perfect face was now a sinister shade of blue, her blue eyes still open but empty. The android grinned at it's triumph, dropping her lifeless body onto the ground, Goku watching on in horror, his own tears sliding freely down his face.

"BULMA!"

+-+

"BULMA!"

Bulma stood up from the chair, and in a flash Vegeta was by her side as they looked down at Goku. He had just called out her name, his voice filled with anguish that made Bulma's heart almost stop. The sadness that now displayed itself on his normally grinning face scared her, as did the solemn tear that trailed down his cheek. She brushed it away gently, wondering what had happened in his sleep that had made him have such a reaction. Was the virus creating nightmares for him? She had no answer, something that she was not well accustomed with.

Vegeta, on the otherhand, was seething. Kakarott had just uttered the woman's name, and it made Vegeta want to blast him to the moon. To speak so freely to the female when he already had a mate and child was something Vegeta was just not used to, the customs on Vegeta-sai that he remembered to be vastly different. Even though Vegeta wanted the female to be his, he was yet to speak her name, choosing to time it out carefully if he was to win her. He knew that on Earth the woman's affections had to be won over, and he was determined to get what he wanted, as always.

The doorbell sounded, echoing down the hall to the room. Bulma looked over at Vegeta. "Could you get that? There's some money in my purse, just give the delivery man that." she spoke, hoping that Vegeta would not argue with her about it. But, as per usual, Vegeta had different ideas. "Why should I retrieve the food?" he questioned, crossing his arms once more. "Because I need to stay with Goku and make sure he's alright. And besides, knowing how much food you like to consume, I don't think I would be physically capable to carry it all by myself, unlike you."

Vegeta grunted. The woman had a point. Without another word he grabbed her purse and left the room, leaving Bulma to return her attention to Goku. His outburst had been the first time he had spoken since falling into his deep slumber, and she couldn't help but feel her heart swell that it had been her name that he'd cried out. Of course, it obviously meant that something awful had happened to her in his dreams, but that he was even thinking about her while he was sick.

She stroked one of his cheek's softly, revelling in the warmth there. "It's okay, Goku. I'm right here, and I'm okay." she whispered, hoping that maybe her words would reach his subconscious. She heard Vegeta approach in the hallway, and immediately withdrew her hand. She had noticed that when she touched Goku, or even spoke about him in some way, it irked her other Saiyan companion. She wasn't sure if it was his sworn loathing for the younger Saiyan that caused him to act in such a way, but Bulma had a feeling that there was more to it then just that.

Vegeta appeared, his arms laden with bags that almost blocked his line of sight. He set them down on the table, pulling out the many containers from the bags and giving them each a sniff before handing one to Bulma. "This is yours." he told her, and astonished she took it out of his hand, opening it up and looking back at him in amazement. "How on earth did you know that this was the meal I ordered, without even looking at it?" she questioned him, intrigued.

Vegeta merely shrugged his shoulders indifferently. "You seem to like that particular meal, and have consumed it many times since I have been here. I have merely become accustomed with it's aroma, and knew that I did nor order it." he explained, occupying a chair at the small table, opening one of his own containers as well as grabbing a pair of chopsticks that the restaurant had provided and beginning to eat.

Bulma sat back down in her own chair, after moving it around so it faced the table and Vegeta who sat across from her. She looked down into her own container, the aroma making her stomach rumble once more as she picked up the other pair of chopsticks and began to consume her meal. It tasted better than she could remember, but she figured that was probably due to her being so famished.

There was silence in the room, save for Goku's gentle snores and the continual slurps that came from Vegeta, who was eating out of the containers at a record speed, Bulma watching him with pure amusement. Seeing someone eat in such a way would probably shock the pants of any other person, but with her years of friendship with Goku, it was nothing that Bulma hadn't seen before.

She was getting through her own meal at a steady pace, savouring the taste in her mouth and enjoying it as best she could, unlike Vegeta who didn't seem to take much time in relishing his meal, instead just consuming it until he was satisfied. Bulma constantly wondered how the Saiyans could eat so much, they had such trim waistlines, where on earth did all the food go?

Vegeta finally finished up, patting his stomach contentedly as he did so. "Well that was much more satisfying than anything you could have made, woman." he commented, shooting a sly smirk at her. Bulma just rolled her eyes in return, finishing her own food and setting the container down on the table among Vegeta's numerous ones. "Alright, well I'll go and clean up, you keep an eye on our sleeping friend, okay." she said, standing up and moving to the door. "Kakarott is no friend of mine." Vegeta rasped back, but Bulma choose to ignore him and made her way to the kitchen in search of a garbage bag.

Vegeta meanwhile stood up too, and moved over to Goku, his eyes narrowing at the sickly man. He could tell that the woman and his sworn enemy had some kind of bond, one that he couldn't even begin to fathom, but he had to admit that it intrigued him. If it weren't for the fact that Goku already had a mate, he would have thought that there was underlying emotion when it came to the two, one he had only ever heard of, but never seen with his own eyes.

Love was it's name, and it was a legendary emotion that seemingly did not exist in his home planet. His father had tolerated his mother, and it appeared that they got on well, but that was all there was to it. Love was something that made you do unthinkable things, and Vegeta hoped that he would never fall prey to it. Sure, he wanted the woman to mate with him, but love had absolutely nothing to do with it. All he would have to do was convince the woman of such feelings, and get some sort of reaction from her.

She returned at that moment, a large garbage bag in her hands that she opened and began to shove the empty containers into it. Once the table was clear once more, she handed the now-full bag to Vegeta. "Can you take this out into the garbage bin for me?" she asked wearily, and he could see that her eyelids were growing heavy. Without argument he took the bag and stalked out of the room, knowing that she was much too tired to have a verbal spar with him now.

Stepping outside, he revelled in the cool night air, crossing the lawn to where the large garbage bins stood. He quickly opened the lid of one and shoved the bag into it, before letting go of the lid and letting it crash back down with a large thud. He turned back to face the house once more, his eyes catching sight of the gravity chamber on his left. He remembered why he had entered the house in the first place that afternoon, to get the woman to fix it after it had broken down on him.

Normally he would have gone back inside and demand that she fix it now, but remembering the tired look on her face, he realised that she was probably not aware enough to fix it, and even if she tried, there was a good chance it would not be completed before she passed out. Instead he wandered back inside, and back to the room that she was currently occupying.

He opened the door, his eyes widening as he caught sight of what lay before him. In his absence, the woman had turned her chair back around to face the bed once more. Her folded arms lay beside the sleeping man, her head resting on them, and she held his hand in her own. Vegeta stood still, wondering whether to move the woman to her bedroom where she would get much better sleep, to stay in the room or to just leave her be.

He chose the third option, knowing that soon sleep would beckon him. He closed the door behind him, trying to figure out just what was happening inside the room. She had never acted in such a way when he had been wounded, and certainly had never touched him unless it was an attempt to hit him after an argument. Jealously reared it's ugly head for a moment, a feeling that accompanied his own feelings towards the younger Saiyan quite frequently.

As he walked into his sleeping quarters, Vegeta vowed that this was one battle he was going to win.

_**Author's Note;** As for the beginning of this chapter and the description of Bulma's injuries, I have never broken my nose, nor do I know anyone who has, so I'm sorry if it doesn't sound all that accurate. _


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

The doorbell sounded, Vegeta cringing at it's noise. Pushing himself off his arms into the air, he flipped backwards so that he was on his feet once more. The woman had not appeared to answer the door, and so Vegeta took it upon himself to do so, willing to do just about anything to stop the infernal ringing in his ears.

Opening the door, he was surprised to see Kakarott's mate and child, the young boy shifting his feet uncomfortably as he looked up at Vegeta, who's trademark scowl appeared on his face. "What do you want?" he demanded to know, crossing his arms as he stared them both down. He already had a hunch that they were there to see the sickly man that lay sleeping in the medical bay, but still wanted an answer from them.

The woman's face intrigued him, it was filled with a mix of emotions, some of which Vegeta knew quite well, some he didn't. She looked him squarely in the eyes. "We're here to see Goku. I'm assuming that he's here, of course." she spoke, in a tone that made Vegeta almost want to backhand her across the street. He grunted. "Unfortunately, that moron you call a husband is here." he replied, moving out of the doorway so they could enter the house.

Mother and son walked in, the boy looking around him in awe at his surrounding. "Wow Mom, this house is huge!" he exclaimed, a grin breaking out onto his face before he saw his mother, the grin immediately disappearing. "Well, I guess when you have more money than you know what to do with, you can spend on just about anything, no matter how absurd or useless it is." she retorted, and Vegeta once again fought the urge to hit the woman.

He could tell that she was seething, but then again the seldom few times he had seen her, she had hardly ever been happy. She always seemed to be angry about something or someone, and not once had he seen a smile grace her features, unlike his own woman, who's smiles seemed to be intoxicating to him. He tried to fight the grin that threatened to break out onto his own lips. Subconsciously, he had referred to the aqua-haired female as _his_. And he liked the way it sounded.

Wordlessly he made his way down the hall, the others following him. As they passed the kitchen Vegeta could almost smell all the food in the kitchen beckoning him, but as he had no idea how to use the earthly contraptions that made meals, he would have to wait for his woman to awake and cook for him. Which reminded him that the last time he had seen her, she had been asleep in the medical bay.

They came across the room, the door shut closed just as Vegeta had left it. He found himself hoping for her sake that she had woken and made her way to her own bedroom, but there was only one way to find out. Reaching out he pressed the opening button, and it slid open to reveal just what he had left the night before.

The aqua-haired woman had not moved in her slumber, and her hand was still closed tightly around Kakarott's, who also had not seemed to move. Glancing at his enemy's mate beside him, he could almost feel the hate that was emitting from her skin, her fists clenched tightly at her sides as she took in the sight before her. Luckily the boy's view was cut off, his mother in the way, but he tried to move around. "Is Daddy in there? Is he okay?"

The woman beside him let out a low growl of frustration, reaching out and pressing the button once again to make the door close, her son looking to the floor sadly. Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Your father is going to be fine, kid." he told the young boy, mentally kicking himself for offering consolation, and swearing to never be so soft again.

"Come on Gohan, we're going." She grabbed her son's hand in her own and began to walk back to the front door, practically dragging him behind her as she did so. Vegeta followed them, arms still crossed, as he tried to make sense of what had just happened. Obviously the woman was upset, but what exactly about? His woman and Kakarott were only friends, he knew that, and so therefore she should have too. Or maybe she had seen the same signs as he, signs that there was something else going on?

No, he refused to believe that Kakarott would take something else of his again.

Once at the front door, the woman turned to the boy. "Gohan, go and wait in the taxi for me?" she asked him, the fake sweetness in her voice making Vegeta cringe. "But Mom, what about Dad-" "Just go!" she interrupted him, her voice returning to it's normal harsh tone as the boy simply nodded and did as she directed. Once he was out of sight, she turned to Vegeta, her eyebrows furrowed together.

"When Goku wakes up, I want you to tell him that he's no longer welcome at Mount Paozu. I will allow him to see Gohan, but not too often. As to where he lives from now on, I couldn't care less."

Vegeta scoffed at her demands. "And why should I tell him this?" he wanted to know, raising an eyebrow before a nasty smirk appeared on the woman's face. "You hate Goku, right? I'm pretty sure that if you tell him this, it will hurt him in ways you never could." Without another word she turned away from Vegeta and made her way over to her car, leaving him to absorb her words as he closed the door behind him.

+-+

A few hours later, Goku's eyes flew open and he sat up, trying to figure out just where he was. It was a room he had never seen before, and instantly he grew fearful. Nightmare after nightmare Goku had found himself in strange places, with it all ending in the same way, mechanical beings bringing about the deaths of his friends, with one person's face coming into view the most.

It was then that Goku felt the warmth coming from his right hand, and looked down to see a sleeping woman, her aquamarine tresses trailing over her face. Goku reached over and brushed them away, feeling the warmth coming from her cheek as his hand made contact with it. She was still alive, and that was the main thing. He looked around, on guard once more. This time, he was going to save her.

The door opened, and Goku stared it down, before Vegeta appeared before him, obviously startled by Goku's reaction. His face softened as he looked at the Saiyan Prince, confusion settling into his features. Vegeta had only been in one of his nightmares, and not as one of the enemies. "Vegeta?" he spoke, raising his free hand up to his forehead to rub it.

"I felt your ki spike up, and knew that you were awake." Vegeta replied to Goku's unspoken question, crossing his arms as his gaze glided over to Bulma, and Goku's grip on her hand tightened subconsciously. "What do you mean, awake?" Goku asked, lowering his hand and then placing it on his chest. The last things he could remembered before the nightmares had been training with Piccolo, with the Namekian requesting that he transform into a Super Saiyan. The pain had followed swiftly.

Then Bulma's face had appeared before him, cheery and bright, before it had contorted into horror and worry.

"Your heart virus decided to make it's appearance." Vegeta explained, almost lazily, as he leaned against the wall. "As far as I know you used your instant transmission to get here, and collapsed. She's been at your side ever since." His eyes turned once more to Bulma, and Goku felt his heart swell with immense gratitude as he did the same, before noticing that was something not right about her.

He leaned over in an attempt to get a closer look, before realising that there was a giant bruise covering a portion of her face, a bandage covering her nose. Goku shot Vegeta a dark glance, a look he did not wear very often. "You didn't." he threatened, and Vegeta couldn't help but give him a smirk in return. "Oh no, she has you to thank for that."

Goku's mouth gaped open in horror as his eyes returned to Bulma. Guilt began to set in, knowing that he had hurt her in turn hurt him. He would never have intentionally done such a thing, but it didn't make him feel any better. He turned back to Vegeta. "How?" he asked, trying his best to understand what had caused his actions. "You had a fit in your sleep, an episode as she refers to it, and she failed to avoid your hand."

Goku looked down at the bed, angry at himself as Vegeta piped up again. "Also, your mate and son arrived here earlier this morning. It seemed that they had come to see if you were alive or not. The woman did not seem pleased, and I was asked to tell you-"

"Kami Vegeta, don't you ever shut up?"

Goku's feelings about his wife coming and seeing him in such a position with Bulma was mixed with happiness that she was waking up, lifting her head up from her arms and letting go of his hand, which he instantly wished she hadn't done, missing the warmth that disappeared. Once fully upright, she realised that Goku was also awake, and feeling much better. Her face broke out into a smile, and she winced almost immediately from her nose but the beam continued as she looked up at him.

"It's so good to see that you're alright! How do you feel?" she asked him, getting up off the chair and throwing her arms around him. "I feel great! I guess I have you to thank for that." Goku replied, placing his own arms around her in an awkward hug, Vegeta watching them in disgust from the wall, jealously glinting in his eyes.

Pulling away, Bulma rolled her blue eyes. "Honestly Goku, it's no problem. I'm just so grateful that you're alright again." Goku's smile faltered. "Yeah, but...I hurt you, Bulma." he replied, raising up a hand to her face so that he could look at the damage he had caused more closely. Bulma frowned slightly. "But you didn't mean to do it. It was just a reflex move, and I was too slow to avoid it." she explained, moving his hand down and patting his shoulder.

Goku let out a sigh. "I guess I should probably go home and let Chi-Chi know that I'm okay. Vegeta said that she and Gohan were over here earlier, so obviously they were worried about me." he moved out of the bed, straightening out his gi as he did so before moving over to Bulma. "Thank you for everything, Bulma. I'll see you soon!" he gave her his trademark grin, and she couldn't help but return it. He turned to face the warrior against the wall. "Bye, Vegeta!"

"Wait, Kakarott-"

But it was too late, Goku had already disappeared before their eyes. Bulma turned to Vegeta, noting his outstretched hand, an attempt to get Goku's attention. She grinned at him. "Don't tell me that you miss him already!" she teased, batting her eyelids at the Saiyan Prince. Vegeta ignored her and folded his arms once more, leaning back against the wall and closing his eyes. "His mate told me to relay some information to Kakarott, I was merely complying."

Bulma frowned as she approached him, trying to ignore the voice in her head that was disbelieving the fact that Vegeta was doing something Chi-Chi had told him to do. "What was it that she wanted to say?" she inquired, hoping that Goku wasn't about to get himself into trouble. Vegeta cleared his throat. "She said that he wasn't welcome back home, and will have to find other accommodation."

Bulma gasped, realising that Goku was unwillingly about to face Chi-Chi's wrath, and was unsure of how he was going to take it. If worst came to worst, he could stay at Capsule Corporation with her, but she hoped that it wouldn't come to that. Hopefully Chi-Chi had not made her way home yet, knowing how long it took to get from Mount Paozu to West City and back. She tried to think of what would be the fastest way to get her there.

Her eyes turned to Vegeta, who had opened his eyes just in time to see hers light up, signalling that he was about to do something he didn't particularly want to do. "Alright Vegeta, you're going to take me to Mount Paozu." she told him, grabbing his arm and proceeding to drag him out into the hallways and outside the house. "I will do no such thing." Vegeta protested, but did not give great resistance, much to her astonishment.

Once they were outside, she moved over to him and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. "Oh yes you are, if you ever want the gravity chamber to work again." she threatened, and Vegeta grunted in reply, holding his arms around her waist before taking off into the sky, smirking as she gripped on tighter to him and pressed her body against his. It took all the control Vegeta had to prevent himself from ripping off her clothes mid-flight and taking her there and then.

+-+

Goku appeared in front of the entrance to his house, surprised when the normal aroma of his home was noticeable absent. He looked around, noting that neither Chi-Chi nor Gohan were not around, but that a familiar being was. Goku walked around the building, grinning when his eyes fell upon green skin. "I knew I'd find you here!" he exclaimed happily, breaking Piccolo out of his meditation.

Unfolding his legs and landing gently back on the ground, Piccolo's eyes widened as he looked at his friend. "Goku? Is that really you?" he asked, unbelieving. Goku frowned at him slightly. "Of course it's me, who else would I be?" he replied, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow. Piccolo gave him a faint smile and shook his head. "Oh, it's you alright."

Goku moved closer to the Namekian, his gaze turning to one of the windows of the house. "So I guess Chi-Chi and Gohan aren't back yet?" Piccolo shook his head, before shooting Goku a worrying glance. "I'd watch out if I were you, Goku. Your wife...has become difficult in your absence." he warned the Saiyan, who raised an eyebrow. "Difficult? What do you mean?"

Piccolo winced as the sound of a car approached them, knowing that his warning to Goku had come too late, and now he was unaware of the wrath that he was about to face. The taxi appeared and pulled up in front of the house, Chi-Chi paying the driver some money out of her purse before she and Gohan exited the vehicle, which then proceeded to head back towards the city.

Goku walked over to them, and the two became aware of his presence, and he received two different reactions. Gohan's young face lit up, a wide smile breaking onto his face, he was clearly happy to see that his father was alright. Chi-Chi's face however contorted with anger, her eyebrows narrowing down at her husband who hesitated as he saw her face.

"Gohan, go inside and start your homework." she spoke to Gohan, and Goku could hear the underlying ire in her voice that she was trying to conceal in front of their son. Gohan went to protest, but one look from his mother sent him straight inside.

Chi-Chi turned to Goku, placing her hands on her hips as she did so. "What are you doing here?" she demanded to know, and Goku furrowed his brows together in confusion. "What do you mean? I live here!" he replied, giving a chuckle that was cut short as his wife let out a cry of frustration. "Didn't you get my message?" she asked, and Goku's confusion deepened. "...Message?"

Chi-Chi paused in thought. "So Vegeta didn't tell you?" "Tell me what? I didn't stay for long after I woke up, I came straight home." Goku explained, realising why Chi-Chi was so furious, his thoughts going back to the conversation he had with his wife previously, where she had told him that she was aware of his feelings for Bulma.

Up until then, Goku hadn't been aware of them. Sure, he knew that when he was around Bulma he felt different than when he was with other people, she made him feel tingly and immensely happy, but he'd always just thought that it was because she was his oldest and closest friend. But witnessing Bulma's death in his nightmares over and over had brought those feelings to light, and Goku realised that there was indeed more to them than he had originally thought.

Waking up to find his aqua-haired friend beside him, her hand holding his, it made Goku feel like he had never felt before, it had almost been like his whole chest had swelled up with happiness. But thinking back to what Vegeta had told him, and that Chi-Chi had seen Bulma and Goku like that, and she knew of the feelings that lay dormant within him.

Chi-Chi sighed. "Goku, honestly, I don't know how much more I can take. I need to know, right here and now, whether it's me or her. If you choose me, than that means you will have to cut all contact off with her. And if you choose her, than you can say goodbye to your son." she spoke bluntly, catching Goku off guard. What was she saying?

The decision was a tough one to make, and that Chi-Chi looked ready for an answer made it even more difficult. Not being able to see Bulma again would devastate him, he couldn't imagine life without her. But on the other hand, there was Gohan to think about. Goku had no doubts that if worst came to worst, she would take Gohan away from Goku, and there was no way that he was willing to lose his son.

For Goku, it was a lose-lose situation. No matter what choice he made, he would have to abandon someone that he loved. While he continued to fight in his mind, Goku became aware of two ki's that were heading his way, one quite large, the other familiar and warming. Goku cringed, the pair had come at the worst time possible, and the last thing he wanted was for them to witness his agony.

Bulma and Vegeta landed quickly, and as soon they touched the ground they moved away from each other at lightning speed, something Goku would have found hilarious in other circumstances. Chi-Chi crossed her arms, staring the other woman down with the darkest glare Goku had ever seen anyone wear. "So Goku, what will it be?" she demanded to know, glancing briefly at her husband.

Bulma raised her hands to her chest. "Goku, what's going on? Are you alright?" she asked him, and Goku turned in her direction, the look on his face worrying her greatly. It was full of such sadness and despair, never had she seen him wear such emotions, and never wished to see them again on his face. She took a step closer to him, her body tingling to hold him in her hands, to comfort him and return the bright smile to his face.

Chi-Chi interrupted them, taking a step closer of her own to Goku. "He has a decision to make." she said simply, and Bulma's eyes widened. "A decision?" she repeated, trying to understand the situation.

"Yes. You, or me."

Bulma's mouth gaped open, the horror of what emotional pain Chi-Chi was willingly inflicting upon Goku almost unfathomable. Tears began to burn in her eyes, seeing Goku in such emotional turmoil. How she wanted him to choose her, to leave the woman who was supposed to love him but never seemed to show any affection at all. But she knew Goku, and knew that he would make the right decision in the end.

Family meant everything to Goku, and even if he did not love Chi-Chi, he would stay with her for the sake of Gohan.

He looked at her then, and she gave him a sad smile, nodding her head as she did so. "I understand." she said softly, trying to keep her emotions at bay. "I'm sorry, Bulma." he apologised, his voice low enough so only she could hear, although he had a sneaking suspicion that Vegeta had heard. Bulma moved back over to the Saiyan Prince, his face bewildered at the look of defeat that was plain on her delicate face.

She spoke to him, in hushed words that Goku could not hear, and did not try to understand. He could do nothing but keep his dark eyes on her, regretting the way things had turned out, not wanting to see her leave his sight, wishing that he hadn't had to say goodbye to her.

Vegeta pulled her to him, and Goku couldn't help but give a sad smile. This was the way things were meant to be, Bulma was to fall for Vegeta, and the selfish desires that formed themselves in Goku's mind where forbidden, and never to be actualised. The back of his throat burned as Bulma wrapped her arms around Vegeta's neck, and wordlessly they shot into the sky, before disappearing into the blue at incredible speed.

And like that, she was gone. Even though only seconds had passed, Goku wanted Bulma to come back, he missed her already. The pain was almost too much for him to bear, his heart was hurting, but he knew fully well that the heart virus had not made a comeback. He couldn't help but smile faintly to himself. So this is what it felt like to be heartbroken.

He turned to Chi-Chi, and took in a deep breath.

"I've made my decision."


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

Goku sighed as he lay his head back on the pillow. It had been a good few months now since he had last seen Bulma on that fateful day, when he had chosen his family over her, when he had been forced to say goodbye. He was beginning to wonder if he was going to forget her face, but a small voice in the back of his mind spoke, telling him that it was impossible to forget perfection.

To distract himself, Goku had been spending most of his time training with Piccolo and Gohan, amazed at his son's strength and ability. He was astounded by his son, especially by the fact that despite his tender age, he still managed to keep up with the rest of the fighters. Goku sensed that there was much more there when it came to Gohan, hidden power that was yet to be realised. He was determined to continue Gohan's training, and hoped to one day to help him unleash that power.

He could hear Chi-Chi bustling around the house, humming under her breath as she did so. Since Goku had returned home, she had undergone an amazing transformation. Instead of ignoring him and yelling at him, Chi-Chi was instead very sweet towards him, her voice syrupy and her smile wide. But while Goku may have been simple-minded, he was no idiot, and knew that his wife's actions and attitude were fake.

It was actually beginning to pester him, he couldn't understand what had driven her to act in such a way towards him, and why she couldn't just be herself. When Chi-Chi wasn't angry, she was actually alright. Goku missed the days at the beginning of their marriage, they had gotten along so well and became great friends. Sure, Goku had not been able to love her, but that didn't mean that he hated her. Over the years however she had changed, motherhood leaving behind her carefree persona and bringing forth an entirely new person that Goku had to admit, he wasn't overly fond of.

And now she was batting her eyelashes at him every time he was in the room, giggling around and just acting – well, bizarre, in Goku's mind. Chi-Chi had even tried to become intimate with him on a number of occasions, but Goku hadn't relented, feigning tiredness most of the time. The truth was he was annoyed with her, that she had forced him to make such a decision and give up someone who was so important with him, and then pretend like nothing had happened.

Goku sat up, running a hand through his thick spiky hair as he did so. It had been too long since he had seen Bulma, and he was determined to visit her, no matter what it took. He didn't like lying and being deceitful, but he also didn't like being governed as to who he could and could not be friends with. Getting up off his bed, he made his way into the bathroom, stripping off his sleeping garments and stepping into the shower, turning the taps until he got just the right amount of warmth.

Half an hour later, Goku walked into the kitchen, clean and fully clothed, where Chi-Chi was looking in the fridge, obviously searching for something. At her husband's approaching footsteps she turned around to face him, her face breaking out into a wide smile that made Goku cringe at it's inauthenticity. "Good morning!" she chirped, and Goku nodded his head in reply. "I was thinking of going and visiting Yamcha, to see how he's been going with his training." he lied, feeling guilty at how easily the words rolled off his tongue – a feeling he was not at all used to.

Chi-Chi titled her head to the side. "Sure thing, tell him I said hi!" she replied, and if she had been aware of Goku's untruthful words, she gave no indication. Goku held up his hand in a farewell gesture, his other hand going to his forehead before he disappeared into thin air.

+-+

Bulma sighed, wiping the sweat off her brow as she stared the contraption down. Vegeta had her working harder than she could ever remember, demanding upgrades and new battle droids constantly, never seeming happy with what he received. Both she and her father were exhausted, and now that Dr. Briefs had been forced to put his foot down, explaining to the Saiyan Prince that he also had a company to run, Bulma had been left to handle Vegeta's demands.

Secretly, she was grateful for the distraction that the constant work provided, it had been more weeks than Bulma had cared to count since she had seen Goku. She missed him terribly, even though previously she hardly saw him, he was always too busy saving the world to drop in for a chat. But now there was peace, at least for the next two or so years, and Goku wasn't about to jet off to another planet any time soon, and therefore would have had the time to come and visit her.

The door of her laboratory slid open, and Vegeta walked into the room, wiping of the sweat from his own brow with a white towel. Bulma ignored his presence, turning her thoughts once again to the droid on the table in front of her. Vegeta went to lean against his favourite wall, watching her intently as she worked.

It had become a new habit of his, he would break from his training and make his way into her laboratory, and watch her for various amounts of time before returning to the gravity chamber without saying a word. It fascinated Bulma, she was constantly trying to figure out the Saiyan's motives, and the fact that there had been a drastic change in his persona as of late had not helped.

Ever since that day at Mount Paozu, Vegeta had begun to act weirdly around her. He no longer demanded ridiculous things from her, although he still did engage in verbal spars with her. His gaze also lingered on her for a fraction of a second longer than normal, and whenever they were in the same room together it always seemed like he was watching her, his dark orbs never leaving her face.

She glanced up at him, and the intensity of his ebony eyes almost burned holes in her own blue ones. "Is there anything you want, Vegeta?" she asked him, not in the mood to play his mind games. He smirked at her. "Nothing you could possibly give me, woman."

Letting out a sigh of frustration, Bulma narrowed her eyes at him. "Well then could you please just go? You're distracting me." she told him, turning her eyes back to the droid. But Vegeta was not one to comply with anyone's wishes, and Bulma knew this quite well. "Maybe you should just start working harder and stop lamenting over Kakarott."

Her eyes shot up, and Vegeta knew that he'd hit a nerve, and a sensitive one at that. "That is none of your business." she growled at him. He crossed his arms and cocked his head to the side. "You spend your days weeping over that pathetic moron, and in turn that affects you complying with my need for new training droids and continual fixings of the gravity chamber, which impacts on my training. So it is in fact, my 'business'."

Bulma's eyes began to burn, but she fought the tears, not willing to let Vegeta know how much his words affected her. Instead she turned her eyes back down to her desk, and took in a deep breath to calm herself. "Well if it's affecting you that badly why don't you just go over to Goku's house and tell his wife to stop being so awful and to let him see me?" Vegeta gave her no answer, instead removing himself from the wall and leaving the room, leaving Bulma to try and figure out just what had happened.

Shaking her head slightly to try and focus her mind on the task before her, Bulma turned back to the droid, picking up a screwdriver and attempting to unscrew a small bolt when she heard a noise behind her. Clenching the screwdriver in her hand, she turned around quickly, eyes glaring. "Dammit Vegeta would you just leave me-"

Her words caught in her throat as her mouth opened wide with shock, the screwdriver falling from her hand and clanging onto the floor. "G-Goku?" she breathed, not wanting to believe her eyes. She blinked, but sure enough, when her eyes reopened he was still standing before her, his smile wide and bright, but the slightest hint of guilt on his beaming features. "Hiya Bulma!"

She ran over to him, practically jumping onto him and wrapping her slender arms around his neck in the tightest hug she could muster. She felt his strong arms tighten around her waist, pulling her up until her toes were only inches from the floor.

Goku didn't want to let go of Bulma, the warmth emitting from her body and the sweet floral aroma that surrounded her were intoxicating to him. But he felt her arms reluctantly pull away from his neck, and he lowered her back onto the ground and withdrew his own arms from her petite waist.

She stood back from him, running her eyes over his form with a smile that quickly froze momentarily. "Did....did Vegeta have anything to do with this?" she asked carefully, glancing out the window. Goku raised an eyebrow at her. "What do you mean? I just wanted to see you, and so here I am." he explained, scratching his cheek as he spoke.

"Just like that? Without Chi-Chi knowing?" Bulma questioned him, knowing that the raven-haired woman would not have just let her husband out so freely to come and see the person she had forbidden him to have any contact with. The guilt seeped onto Goku's face. "I did a bad thing, Bulma. I lied to Chi-Chi. I said I was going to see Yamcha." he admitted, lowering his head.

Bulma eyes widened as Goku's words processed through her mind. Goku had _lied_? Surely such a thing wasn't possible. But seeing him stand before her made her realise the truth, and she was astounded that he had done something that was so against his nature just to see her. All she could do was hope that it wouldn't taint him in any way.

"Well how about you go and see Yamcha later? That way, you're not really lying." she reasoned, trying her hardest not to corrupt her friend. Goku's face lightened up. "That sounds alright." he replied, the guilt fading from his face, making Bulma feel more relaxed. She beamed her best smile at him. "Well why don't we go and have a nice chat on the balcony? There's a fresh pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice in the fridge."

+-+

Once out on the balcony, Bulma leaned back in her chair, taking a sip of her drink as she did so. Her eyes wandered over to her companion, who was too busy looking at the city to notice her gaze. Bulma couldn't help but frown, there were dark circles forming under Goku's eyes, and he looked worn out, even as he smiled at her. She couldn't help but wonder what had been happening at Mount Paozu for the last few months.

She realised that Goku was probably pushing himself hard with his training, knowing that he had to get as strong as possible for the upcoming battle with the androids. But there was something more, she had known Goku long enough to realise that something was wrong. Her eyes trailed down to the ground. The fact that he had gone behind Chi-Chi's back and visited her kept running through her mind.

She had missed him, and terribly, but she knew the reason why, the lingering feelings that were continually pushed down every time she set her blue eyes on him. But what about his reasons? Sure they were great friends, the best, but was that enough for him to break character and be deceitful? She barely dared to hope.

Sitting next to him, all she wanted him to do was wrap his arms around her, kiss her and declare his everlasting love. But that would never happen, not when he was married. Even if it was to a domineering, seemingly hard woman. But the fantasy was always there, and had been there for years. The forbidden thoughts that were never, ever to be realised.

Goku looked over at Bulma then, raising an eyebrow slightly at her as her cheeks flushed pink. "Are you okay, Bulma?" he asked her, concerned. Bulma managed her best smile, pushing all her thoughts down. "I'm fine. Just happy to see you." she replied, pleased when a grin broke out onto his face. "Me too. I know I don't see you a lot, but-"

"Goku, don't stress, it's okay. You've been busy the last few years, that's all. Having and raising Gohan, and then being dead for a year, that can interfere with your social life. And then being in space...well, it's not like we would have been able to meet up and have a chat all that often." she chuckled, and Goku joined in, before a sigh escaped his lips. "I guess you're right. But I'll make it up to you now, I promise."

Bulma reached out, placing her hand on his arm that was resting on the small table that separating them, the intense warmth emitting from his skin strangely comforting. He looked down at her hand and then up at her, his cheeks tinged with pink at the contact. "I don't want you to go behind Chi-Chi's back, Goku. No matter how much I want to see you." she told him solemnly, mentally kicking herself as she spoke.

"Why?" he asked, and Bulma couldn't help but be reminded of his younger self, the young wide-eyed boy who was always asking and questioning everything around him. Bulma tore her blue eyes away from his dark, curious ones, focusing on the cracks in the tiles beneath her feet. "Because it's wrong, Goku. Lying to Chi-Chi, it's not like you at all."

Her eyes returned to his, unwavering. "You're so good and pure, I've always admired that in you. I don't want you to be any different, to be like everyone else." Goku frowned, understanding her words, but trying to figure out what would happen now. He knew that he would want to see Bulma again, many more times, but in doing so, he knew he was doing something very wrong.

He raised one hand to his forehead, his brain almost hurting with all the information and feelings that were swirling around in his thoughts. He looked down at his other arm, Bulma's pale, delicate hand still resting upon it. With no words, he lowered his hand from his forehead and laid it over hers, relishing in the smoothness of her skin, it was almost like silk.

Bulma eyes widened in surprise as his hands covered her own, his touch so warm and caring that it made her almost want to cry. She locked her gaze on his own, and they sat still as the minutes went by, saying nothing, words not needed between them. They would have stayed like that for much longer, if Bulma's conscience hadn't intervened. She sighed, the moment broken as she pulled her hand from his his. "You should probably go and visit Yamcha, you don't want to be out for long."

Goku finished the rest of his drink with a large gulp, before placing the glass back on the table. He nodded in reply, but something on his face betrayed him, Bulma could see that he was reluctant to leave. Her own face tinged with sadness, she stood up, Goku following suite. "Hey, do you want to come with me? I'm sure Yamcha will be happy to see you." he asked her, Bulma raising an eyebrow in reply. "Goku...Yamcha and I broke up months ago. For good."

Goku's eyes shot up in surprise, although he was confused about his reaction. He knew that it was eventually going to happen, and yet he could feel mixed emotions seeping through his body, the most prominent one being _happiness_, followed by guilt by having such a feeling about the breaking up of two of his oldest friends. "I'm sorry." he spoke, not sure what to really say about the situation.

Bulma shrugged her shoulders indifferently. "It was bound to happen, sooner or later." she explained. "Although...don't tell him that I said that." she added, throwing Goku a suspicious glance. "I won't say a word." Goku replied, grinning.

The air changed then, the two knowing that their goodbye was inevitable. Bulma stood still, her eyes trailing to the ground, looking at Goku becoming too hard for her. When would she see him again? She had told him to never lie to his wife again, and so she knew that he would not visit again any time soon. Her eyes burned with tears, but she was determined to not let Goku see her cry.

Goku was having similar feelings, looking at Bulma who seemed unable to meet his gaze, sadness written all over her. It was hard for him, not knowing when he would see her again, see her perfect face and brilliant blue orbs. He had promised her to never be deceitful to Chi-Chi, and Goku was not one to break promises. But he was still determined to figure out how to see her without hurting anyone. Surely there had to be a way.

He moved over to her, wrapping his arms around her tightly, almost afraid to let her go. Bulma buried her face in his chest, her hands moving to his back where she gripped his gi. Neither would say goodbye, the words too final for either of them. Instead they stayed in their embrace, until Bulma finally pulled back, her face lowered so that Goku could not see it, which saddened him.

"Take care, Bulma." he said softly, before two fingers went to his forehead and he disappeared, blue fading from his vision as he found himself standing in front of a red door, signalling that he was in front of Yamcha's apartment. He raised a hand to knock, but froze in mid-movement, his other hand moving to the front of his gi, where he was surprised to find wetness there.

_**Author's Note;** Ugh, I had so much trouble writing this chapter, I'm so sorry that it's shorter and not the great, but I had writer's block with it so many times. But now it is finally done! *dances*_

_I know many of you are wondering about the lack of Bulma/Goku, and I promise, it is coming soon. I just need to set the foundation for the story. Believe me when I say, it will be worth it._

_Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews I have received, especially from Enula who is pretty much pure awesome and my Goku/Bulma hero. It means so much to me that you review every chapter, and say such lovely, lovely things, especially as I am a massive fan of yours!_


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

_**Author's Note; **__This chapter is dedicated to DeathGoblin and Tellemicus Sundance for their wonderful reviews are almost every chapter. You both have brought giant smiles to my face, and I'm very grateful._

_If anyone has any questions about me or the story that they'd like me to answer, then please, ask away, and I will reply to you with the next chapter. :)_

Vegeta sighed as he pushed the large red button in the control panel before him, cancelling the extreme gravity that pushed down on his body. Seconds later the air returned to normal, and he let in a deep breath, exhaling it slowly. His training had certainly become harder, and yet in Vegeta's eyes it still wasn't enough.

He was yet to ascend, and it was driving him mad. He was certain that he was much stronger than Kakarott had been on Namek, and still he had not made the transformation into a Super Saiyan. Throwing a dark glance in the direction of the house, his eyes narrowed. He was certain of the reason why he had not been able to ascend yet, and the reason was in that house, probably in her laboratory.

The woman was driving him wild. He couldn't explain the effect she had on him, only that it was maddening and he wished for it to go away desperately. When she looked at him with those wide blue eyes of hers, It made his body go crazy and almost _yearn_ for her. Vegeta just put it down to the fact that it had been quite some time since he had been intimate with a female, and that was all there was to it.

Still, he was determined to figure her out, and once he did, Vegeta would claim her as his own. However, it had to be entirely on his terms. He couldn't have anyone thinking that she had seduced the Saiyan Prince, that he could succumb to a lowly human woman's charms.

He shook his head. Such a thing just wasn't possible.

+-+

Bulma sighed, looking at her watch. She knew that Goku would be arriving soon, and as much as she wanted to see him, she was also well aware that he was now in the habit of regularly of disobeying his wife's wishes that he stay away from her. Goku wasn't a bad person, but Bulma was worried that the deception would morph him into someone else, and she was perfectly happy with the way he was.

But over the past few months, Goku began to visit her weekly. After his first visit, when she had pleaded with him to not go behind Chi-Chi's back, he had promised it would never happen again. The next week, he showed up once more, and while Bulma was glad to set her blue eyes on his form again, she was not impressed that he had broken his promise to her, another thing he would normally have evr done.

Goku however explained that he was not lying to Chi-Chi, he was simply not telling her where he was going. Bulma still was not happy, it was still deceitful and beneath him, but when she told him this, Goku's face fell.

"_I just can't stay away from you, Bulma."_

With his words, Bulma had almost given in to the intense urge that burned in her body to wrap her arms around his neck and place her lips on his. But, knowing better, she simply did her best to ignore it, and went along with it. The truth was, she wanted to see him as often as possible, and spend as much time with him as she could.

The only problem had been Vegeta. Luckily he had not been aware of his visits, and Bulma couldn't help but notice that there was an intense jealousy that Vegeta harboured towards the younger Saiyan. She had tried to be as civil to her house-guest as was possible, but every time she mentioned Goku, even if it was just in passing, Vegeta would turn livid.

So to prevent any fighting or worse, Bulma kept Goku in the house, taking him into rooms that Vegeta was either not aware of or had no interest in. So far it had worked, and Goku was not aware of any plans she had. She knew that eventually Vegeta would find out, but she certainly wasn't going to be the one to tell him and then face his wrath.

One more look at her watch, she was almost anxious enough for his arrival that she considered counting down the seconds. She had been busy in the kitchen for the previous hour, making an entire stack of sandwiches for her oldest friend, knowing his enormous appetite.

Right on time, her eyes suddenly met with orange and a giant beam graced her features. "Goku." she exclaimed happily, standing up from her seat and giving him a welcoming hug. "Hiya Bulma! Were you...waiting for me?" Goku asked, returning her embrace with his strong arms. "No..." she lied, before mentally slapping herself for doing exactly what she hated Goku becoming adverse to. "Alright, you caught me."

Goku let go of Bulma, raising a hand to scratch the back of his head out of habit. "Am I really that predictable?" he inquired, a goofy grin on his lips. Bulma nodded, before bursting into giggles. "Maybe that's only because I've know you for many years." she explained, folding her arms. "And because I know you so well, I'm betting that you're hungry?" Goku paused for a moment, before smiling at her sheepishly and nodding. "Alright, there's a stack of sandwiches in the kitchen."

+-+

Vegeta walked through the halls of Capsule Corporation, not entirely sure. He had an inkling that he was looking for the female, but the mind told him that was insane. But his body was saying something else entirely, his eyes needing to look upon her form, even if it was only for a second.

Walking near the kitchen, he paused. He could hear the woman's voice, her tinkling vocals imprinted in his ears. Vegeta closed his eyes, trying to sense out who she was speaking to. Not the weakling, surely, it had been months since she had finally realised that he was hardly a man and sent him away. It was not he, but the ki was certainly familiar...

His eyes shot open.

_Kakarott._

The younger Saiyan was most definitely in the kitchen with the female, chattering away and obviously unaware of Vegeta's presence. What a fool. But something in Vegeta's mind clicked. Kakarott was not to be here, not anywhere near the blue-haired female, by his mate's orders. He was deceiving her.

But that was not what Vegeta was so enraged about. He poked his head around the door, careful not to be seen, just in time to see the female brush crumbs of Kakarott's face, before turning away quickly, her cheeks flushing red, his own doing the same. Vegeta raised an eyebrow, trying to analyse the situation, before returning his gaze to the hallway.

He had seen the way the two interacted. He knew that there was something there, much more than they would ever care to admit. He could see that the woman harboured attractions for Kakarott, and that they were clearly returned.

Vegeta's fists clenched tighter, his face growing hot with anger. He had already staked a claim on the Earthling woman, and was not about to lose her to an imbecile. He would make her change her mind, make her realise that Kakarott was nothing but a blubbering fool when it came to the Prince of Saiyans.

But the question was, how was he going to get rid of Kakarott? He would get nowhere with the female if the younger Saiyan was around all the time. Another quick glance around the door, to see Kakarott pat the woman's arm affectionately, and then she laid her own pale hand on his.

His eyes darkened and narrowed. No, this simply would not do.

+-+

Watching Goku manage to stuff three full sandwiches into his mouth at the same time, Bulma propped her elbow on the counter and leaned her cheek against her hand, watching him with mild interest. Where all the food went, she had no idea. What she did know is that if Goku was to ever quit training as hard as he did, he would becoming incredibly obese.

She remembered Chi-Chi saying something similar many years ago, and as soon as Goku's wife popped into her head, she winced with guilt. Her blue eyes glanced towards her friend, but he was too enthralled in his food to notice. Bulma sighed. This was wrong. What they were doing was wrong.

The feelings she had for him, the feelings that were growing intensely every time that she saw him, were wrong.

Looking back at Goku, she noticed that in his hastened eating, he'd managed to spread crumbs everywhere, from his face, to his gi and even the counter. Chuckling, Bulma reached one hand over the counter to brush away the crumbs that stuck around Goku's mouth absent-mindedly. It was something she had done for many years, cleaning Goku up after a meal.

But now things were different. Suddenly realising just what she was doing, Bulma dropped her hand quickly and turned away, her cheeks flushing red with sheer embarrassment. Goku was an adult now, not some little kid that needed some help with hygiene.

Goku had been too engrossed with his lunch, that he hadn't noticed Bulma's actions until she withdrew her hand and turned away. The physical contact of her soft hand was imprinted on his face, tingling where skin had contacted skin. He felt his cheeks grow hot, and also turned away, wondering if maybe he had a fever. This wasn't usual, was it?

He turned back to face Bulma, who's head was bowed down slightly, her eyes on the floor. "Bulma? Are you okay?" he asked concerned, his eyebrows furrowing together. "Yeah, I'm fine." she replied, turning to him and giving him her best smile. But Goku wasn't convinced. Simple he may have been, but stupid he was not.

"Bulma, are you sure? Is it Vegeta?" Goku tried, trying to figure out what else it could be. "Is it me?"

Bulma's head shook furiously. "No, Goku. You're...perfect." she sighed, clasping a hand over her mouth immediately as Goku cocked his head to the side curiously. "I mean, nothing at all is wrong with you. And as much as Vegeta annoys me, it's got nothing to do with him either. It's just..." she trailed off, her shoulders slumping as she laid both hands on the table. "I feel so guilty all the time."

Without thinking, Goku patted Bulma's arm gently, trying to comfort her. She placed her own hand over his, keeping the contact. Goku smiled sadly. "I shouldn't keep coming here." he admitted, and Bulma nodded her head silently.

As she released his hand slowly, Goku clenched it under the table, still feeling the warmth. "You need to stop betraying Chi-Chi. Or at least tell her. Seeing a friend shouldn't make us feel so guilty." Bulma replied, blue orbs meeting with ebony.

Silence echoed around the room, as they continued to gaze at each other. Goku stood up and walked over to Bulma, placing his hands on her shoulders, his eyes never leaving hers once.

"That's not what makes me feel guilty."

Bulma's mouth gaped open. What was Goku saying? He was admitting that there was something more behind this? She could have swore that his face was leaning down, closer to his own, his intoxicating scent filling her nostrils as she closed her eyes, awaiting the press of his lips against hers, something she had wanted for so long...

"Bulma! Where are you, sweetie?"

Bulma's eyes snapped open, and she instantly noticed that Goku's face was inches away from her own before his hands left her shoulders and he promptly stepped back, his eyes turning to the floor as he raised one hand to the back of his head. Her breathing ragged, Bulma leaned herself against the counter to recover from what had just happened as her mother entered the kitchen.

"There you are! And who's this I see! My my Goku, you certainly are easy on the eyes these days!" Bunny exclaimed, dropping the many shopping bags that were cradled in her arms into the floor and moving over to Goku, who had taken a step back from the energetic blonde woman. She glanced at Bulma. "You didn't tell me that Goku had become so handsome!"

Bulma's eyes met with Goku's for a second before she turned them to her mother. "Well I, uh... where have you and Dad been?" she asked, changing the subject as she pointed to the bags that now littered the kitchen floor.

Bunny stepped away from Goku, who gave a sigh of relief. "We went everywhere! I bought some lovely things, and even some new dresses for you!" Bunny exclaimed, picking up various bags and handing them to Bulma. "You should go and try them on! I know that they will look fabulous on you!'

With that, Bunny left the kitchen, leaving Bulma and Goku to themselves. Dropping the bags to the floor, Bulma took one step towards Goku hesitantly, not knowing exactly what was going on between them. "Goku?"

He looked at her, and then smiled. "I should go home."

Bulma nodded slowly. "That might be best." she admitted, her heart screaming out in protest. Goku waved a hand at her, and walked over to the balcony door, stepping out and then taking off into the air. Bulma stared out into the sky as his figure disappeared, trying to analyse her afternoon. Goku's departure had certainly been unusual, he was never one to not say goodbye or just leave.

Picking up her bags once more and heading to her bedroom, Bulma sighed once more. All she could do was hope that maybe everything would be set right and then she could resume to being her normal, brilliant self without all the worry that plagued her mind day and night.

+-+

As the wind whipped across his face, Goku took in a deep breath. He had almost kissed Bulma, but that wasn't what had scared him the most. Instead, it was the fact that going to kiss Bulma had felt _right_. Nothing at all like kissing his wife.

A determined look set into his features. When he returned home, he would tell Chi-Chi the truth. It would hurt her to know everything, but he was already hurting her by going behind his back. He wasn't a selfish person, he had never desired to be at all. But for once in his life, he wanted something.

He wanted something more than he had ever before in his life.

+-+

Chi-Chi was in the kitchen, humming under her breath as she cleaned the numerous dishes that were stacked up beside the sink. Gohan was upstairs, busy with his studies, which always put her in a good mood, and Goku was off somewhere, most likely training as per usual.

A knock sounded from the door, breaking Chi-Chi away from her thoughts. They normally didn't receive many visits, except for her father, and she could usually hear the loud engine from his car when he was approaching the house. Wiping her soapy hands with the dish-towel, she hurried to the door and quickly opened, surprised to see dark ebony eyes glaring at her.

Chi-Chi's eyebrows shot up with surprise. "Vegeta? What are you doing here? I'm sorry but Goku isn't here right now, but I'm sure if you come back later-"

The evil grin that spread across Vegeta's features chilled Chi-Chi to the bone.

"Oh, I am quite aware that Kakarott is not here."


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

_**Author's Note; **Hey guys, sorry about the wait for a new update. In advance, I apologise for the lack of quality in this chapter. I've been really ill as of late, going to the doctors and trying to figure out what on earth is wrong with me. :(_

_But here it is! The chapter you've all been waiting for! Thanks for all the reviews and support, it really does mean a lot to me when I receive them._

Goku stretched out as he flew, travelling by air sure was taking longer than he had remembered. He was in the habit of using his Instant Transmission most of the time, it was an efficient and quick way to get around. But he had opted to fly home, in hope that he could clear his thoughts and really consider what he was about to do.

He liked Bulma, but now his feelings towards her had manifested themselves into something more, something that a married man should not feel towards another woman. He didn't know what the right thing to do was. Should he give up Bulma and try to live happily with his wife, or tell Chi-Chi the truth and be with Bulma? He couldn't figure it out, and there was no-one he could really discuss it with.

His thoughts kept turning to his young son. He loved Gohan more than anything in the world, the boy was the apple of his eye. But how would either of these choices affect him? Goku was too scared to even consider what could happen to his son. Lately, he could tell that Gohan knew something was going on. He was smart like that.

His small house came into view, and he took in a deep breath of air, trying to control himself and keep a stern face. He'd fought aliens, monsters and had even died, but none of those things were as hard as what he was about to do.

Goku landed on the soft grass, wringing his hands together. Was this what it felt like to be nervous? He opened the front door, putting his trademark grin on his face. "Gohan? Chi-Chi? I'm-" Goku stopped short as he stepped into the living area, surprised to see it almost striped bare, his wife sitting upon a box, her arms crossed, eyes closed.

"Glad to see you could make it, Goku."

+-+

Bulma sighed to herself as she loaded up the dishwasher with all the dirty plates that Vegeta had just been eating off. He had gone out of the compound, a rare occurrence indeed, to Kami-knew where. When he had arrived home, he'd worn a very smug grin on his face, but said nothing.

He stood against the kitchen wall now, arms crossed, watching her intently. "You know, you could come and help me with these, after all, you are the one who used them." she remarked, looking over her shoulder at him with an icy glare. Vegeta simply scoffed. "I will do no such thing. That is no job for a man, let alone a prince." he replied, sticking his nose in the air but keeping his dark eyes focused on her.

Bulma stopped and turned around to face her companion, placing her hands on her hips. "It's about time you actually did something around the house Vegeta, instead of taking up space, eating all our food and wasting our time. I'm refusing to clean up after you. From now on, if you want clean plates, you can clean them yourself."

Vegeta's mouth gaped open slightly, before stepping closer to her, his eyes narrowed. "You've got nerve woman, I'll give you that. But do not think that you can insult me and not pay the price." he told her menacingly, but Bulma just rolled her eyes again. "Geez Vegeta, I have a life. You know, things to do, people to see."

Vegeta smirked. "Like seeing Kakarott?"

Bulma help up a hand to her mouth as she gasped. "How...but...you know?" she asked, horrified. Vegeta continued to smirk at her. "You think me an idiot woman? Of course I knew. I could sense that imbecile anywhere." he replied, the smirk now leaving his face, replaced by a frown. "His mate told him to never see you again. He went against her word. On my planet, such a thing is punished by death."

Bulma narrowed her eyes at him, but was still afraid of what Vegeta was planning to do with the information. "Well, here in Earth, it isn't. And it's not like we're really doing anything wrong. I mean-" Bulma slapped a hand to her forehead, realising that she was digging herself in deeper and deeper. Her blue eyes met Vegeta's. "Have you told anyone?" she asked him bluntly, worrying about the answer.

"I have no desire to inform that pathetic scarred moron of yours about this." Vegeta replied, his voice almost sounding bored as he moved to the kitchen door. Suddenly he stopped and turned his torso around slightly to look at the aqua-haired woman.

"I did, however, inform his mate."

+-+

"How could you?"

Goku held up his hands in defence, but it was not doing him any favours. "I was going to talk to you about it, to try and figure things out." he protested, but his wife simply shook her head in reply, tears flying everywhere. "No you weren't! You weren't going to tell me about anything! You were just going to keep going and seeing her behind my back. That's not how a marriage works, Goku."

"But I-"

"I can't take it anymore. It's affecting me, it's affecting Gohan and his studying, and I just can't deal with it anymore. Just tell me one thing." Chi-Chi moved over to her husband, clenching the handkerchief she was holding in her left hand tighter. She took in a deep breath.

"Do you love her?"

Goku looked back at his wife, his eyebrows moving upwards and his eyes wide. Was she really asking him if he loved Bulma? Sure he liked her, he always had, but he wasn't so sure what love even meant, or whether his feelings were really that strong.

"I don't know."

As soon as he spoke, Chi-Chi backed away from him and lowered her head, and Goku could see that the fight had drained out of her. "I see." she replied softly, turning away from him. "I'll be staying with my father, and Gohan too. I'm trying to keep him out of this mess, so it would be best if you don't try to see him. At least not until we sort this all out." she explained, her voice sounding defeated.

Goku's eyebrows furrowed together. "You can't do that! He's my son, Chi-Chi, you can't just take him away from me! That's not fair!"

Chi-Chi's head snapped up as her eyes met his. "You know what's not fair, Goku? It's not fair when the man you love and call your husband is in love with another woman. It's not fair when your husband makes you a promise and then continuously breaks it behind your back." she retorted, before moving to the door and turning the handle.

"Goodbye, Goku."

+-+

Bulma raced through the sky, not bothering to check her speed. She was angry, upset, and worried all at the same time. Vegeta had told Chi-Chi everything he knew, and Bulma was aware that the other woman had a short-fuse and hardly any tolerance. If Bulma had contained the strength, he would have blasted the Saiyan prince right there and then.

She knew that Goku often had problems dealing with his wife, they were very much opposites when it came to personality. All she could do was hope that perhaps Chi-Chi had taken it all in calmly, and not done anything rash. She shook her head slightly. No, that would nearly be impossible.

The house came into view, although it was hard to tell since the night was getting darker and there appeared to be no lights on. Bulma landed her craft and de-capsuled it quickly, looking around. It was eerily quiet, the Son house rarely ever was. She moved closer to the house, looking around before opening the door. "Goku?" she called out gently, almost afraid to step into the pitch-black house.

"...Bulma?"

At the sound of Goku's voice, Bulma gave a sigh of relief. She fumbled around the wall for the light-switch, finding it before flipping it on. She gasped as she saw him – never had Goku looked so defeated. He sat his his back to the wall, his head resting on his knees, his hands on the top of his head. Her mind raced back to years previously, when Radditz had shown up and then proceeded to take Gohan.

Instantly she moved over to him, dropping to her knees and placing a hand gently on his back. "What happened?" she asked softly, knowing that whatever had happened must have been awful for Goku. She had already noted the lack of furniture, as well as the absence of any other sounds. Her eyes narrowed. Vegeta was going to get his own for this.

Goku lifted up his head, and looked at Bulma with weary eyes. "She left me, and took Gohan. She won't even let me see him." he replied hoarsely, and Bulma wondered of he'd been screaming recently, it sure sounded like he had. "Oh Goku, I am so sorry." she whispered, rubbing his back soothingly.

He shook his head at her words. "It's not your fault. It's mine. Chi-Chi was right, I shouldn't have gone behind her back and broken my promise. I guess she must have figured out where I was going." he exclaimed, looking at his hands.

Bulma tilted her head to the side. This had been Vegeta's doing, but Goku had no idea. She opened her mouth to inform him of this, but stopped herself. Goku had already had a hard afternoon, there was no point in making him more angry or upset.

Instead, she smiled at Goku. "I guess you'll be coming home with me." she spoke as she stood up, looking around the now-bare room. "You should go and grab all your things." she told him, but Goku simply looked at her. "I can't leave, what if they come back?"

Bulma sighed. "Goku, I don't think Chi-Chi's going to be coming back for a while. And I can't just let you live here all by yourself, can I?" Goku looked at the floor briefly, before getting to his feet. "I lived by myself after my Grandpa died, until you came along. I'll be fine." he protested, straightening out his gi.

"Goku, you've been living for way too long with a wife to be able to completely survive on your own. And I can't leave you here because that will give me a bad conscience. If you're at Capsule Corporation with me, I can keep an eye on you."

Goku went to say something in return, but stopped himself. She had a point. He nodded his head instead, and left the room to gather what little possessions he had left. After he had gone, Bulma sighed and sat down on a lingering box, cradling her head in her hands. This was getting too much to deal with.

Things had been simpler when she had been with Yamcha. They had been together for so many years that the idea of dating someone else just never occurred to her. She'd always imagined that they would be together for the rest of their lives, but that dream had been cut short every time that he flirted with another girl.

Hearing footsteps approaching, Bulma stood up again to see Goku enter the room with his arms full of orange and blue. "Alright, I'm ready." he told her, managing a small smile. Bulma looked around. "But what about all this other stuff?" she asked, indicating to the boxes that surrounded them. Goku shrugged in reply. "They're not important. I'll get them later if I need to."

Goku moved closer to Bulma and she grabbed his arm, knowing what was coming next. She tried to ignore the flush from her cheeks as the room around them changed into her laboratory within seconds. She looked up at Goku, trying to push all the inappropriate thoughts she was having out of her mind. "I'll show you your room."

She led him to to a room that was near her bedroom, opening the door and letting Goku in first. The room had previously been Yamcha's, where Bulma had banned him after too many times of inappropriate behaviour towards other women. "Is this alright?" she asked Goku, who dropped his armful of gis onto the bed to free his arms. "This is great! Thanks Bulma." he replied, throwing her another smile, this one bigger than the last but Bulma could sense that it was forced.

"Do you need anything else?" she asked, but Goku shook his head. "You've done enough. Actually, I could really just use a nap." he answered, sitting down on the bed. Bulma nodded. "Okay. But if you need anything at all, just find me." Bulma added, before moving out of the room and closing the door behind her, leaving Goku to himself.

Vegeta stopped his punch in mid-air. That energy signal – it simply couldn't be. Not after he had wasted valuable training time to get that imbecile away from this place and the woman, and yet he had returned. With a howl of frustration, Vegeta cut the gravity and stalked out of his Gravity Chamber, locating the woman's ki.

He found her in her laboratory, pondering over a new device with a pink-handled screwdriver. "Woman!" he barked, making her jump out of her chair. A satisfied grin crossed his face, but only for a second before the anger took over again. "Why is that moron here again?" he demanded to know, crossing his arms as he glared at her.

She turned around to face him, her delicate features set in anger. "His wife left him, with his son. He had nowhere else to go. You're not happy with it but the funny thing is that Goku is here because of you." she remarked back, a smirk on her lips. "I was going to get back at you myself, but now there's no need."

Vegeta's eyes widened. His plans had backfired. Instead of getting Kakarott away from this place, he had managed to make the moron live there permanently. Saying nothing to the aqua-haired female he moved out of the room, punching a hole in the wall as he did so.

He was determined. The woman would be his. And he didn't mind one bit if he had to kill kakarott in order to win her.


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

_**Author's Note; **Thanks for all the reviews, readers! It's amazing just how much a fantastic review makes me want to write more! Normally with stories I have them written a couple of chapters in advance, but unfortunately not with this story. At least, not yet. I'm planning on writing more so they can come to you quicker! Did I mention the reviews really help? _:P

_This one took a little longer but it's here for you now, so please enjoy!_

Goku wiped the sweat from his brow, panting heavily. He'd been pushing himself harder, he knew that, but still something was wrong. It was a bad feeling that followed him permanently, no matter where he went or what he did. Nothing he did could make it go away. Goku let out a sigh. The more he dwelt on it, the worse it would become.

He landed on the lush grass, picking up his towel and wiping down his face. He'd had a good training session overall, but the sky was growing darker and he knew Bulma didn't like him training in the evening.

_Bulma._

It had been a good month or so since Chi-Chi had left him, taking Gohan with her. Since then Goku had been staying at Capsule Corporation at Bulma's insistence. Bulma had urged him to keep a low profile, the last thing he needed was Chi-Chi becoming aware of where he was currently residing. Rules were being enforced upon Goku, such as the fact that he wasn't allowed to transform into a Super Saiyan in her front yard, and training beyond nightfall was a no-no.

The latter rule confused him the most, if she wished for no-one to know about him, surely under the darkness of night would have been the best time for him to train. But Bulma had insisted that days were for training, and nights were for rest.

He'd taken up to to training next to Vegeta's gravity chamber. In case the older Saiyan ever decide to spar with him. But that hadn't occurred thus far, and Goku was beginning to get the feeling that it never would. He was aware that Vegeta didn't like him, not that it had ever stopped the cheerful Saiyan from trying to befriend him, but these days it had become worse.

Vegeta never spoke to him, nor did his dark eyes ever cross over Goku's figure. There was something off about the Saiyan Prince, and Goku was determined to get to the bottom of it. But his own problems came first.

He wandered into the house, heading to Bulma's laboratory, where he knew she would be working on some new invention for her father. Sure enough, as he stepped into the room, she was hunched over a small gadget, intently gazing at it before she realized that she was no longer alone. Her blue eyes brightened and she beamed at Goku. "Hey." she greeted him, running a hand through her aquamarine locks.

"Hey." he replied back, his smile just as wide. "Whatcha working on?" he asked, his eyes returning to her project, trying to make some sort of sense out of it. "Oh, it's a just a prototype for a new model of electro-magnetic touchpads." Bulma replied simply, shrugging her shoulders gently as she spoke. "Nothing too complex." she added, looking back at Goku and holding back a giggle as she saw the confusion etched in his handsome features.

"I see." Goku replied, but it was rather obvious that he had no clue what Bulma was speaking about. "Well, I guess I'd better go and have a shower." he exclaimed, realising that he probably didn't smell too pleasant. Bulma nodded her head in reply, she was thankful that Goku took more interest in his personal hygiene than Vegeta did. Her cheeks grew pink as her mind went into forbidden territory, imagining her friend hoping into the shower, the warm water cascading down his sculpted body...

"Oh, and I wanted to let you know that I won't be here for dinner." Goku's words broke Bulma out of her thoughts, and her wide eyes simply blinked back at him as she processed the information. "Where are you off to?" she asked casually, her curiosity getting the better of her. Since coming to stay with her, Goku hadn't left once. She'd spoken to him about visiting his friends, but Goku had shaken his head, explaining that they were probably too busy with their own training regimes to catch up.

Goku headed for the door. "I just have some errands to run." he replied, his tone giving nothing away. "Alright, well then I guess I'll see you when you get back?" Bulma called out to him as he entered the hallway. He looked back at her, his usual smile on his lips. "Definitely." he replied, before disappearing from her view.

Bulma kept her eyes on the doorway for another minute after Goku had left, pondering over her thoughts. It had been nice to have Goku around, despite the circumstances. He was good company, and it was great to be able to spend more time with him, even when he was training every day he still always made time to say hello or have a chat with her.

She had tried her best to give him space, while she realized that now she could finally let her feelings for Goku be revealed and maybe they could be together, it would take time for him to heal with the break-up of his family. Although he never showed it, Bulma knew that leaving Gohan had been hard on Goku. He loved his son more than anything, and not being able to see him must have been hurting the Saiyan more than he would dare let on.

She sat back in her chair, tilting her head back until her eyes met with the ceiling. If she was patient, eventually Goku would come to her, in his own time. Until then, she would do nothing but be his loyal friend, as she had done for so many years. When the time was right, and Goku was ready, than maybe they would be able to finally be together.

As Goku stepped out of the shower, he ran a hand through his wet locks. He knew that what he was about to do was stupid and reckless, but at that moment, he decided not to think about the implications. He'd been thinking about it for weeks now, it was only that day that he had decided to go through with his plans.

He closed his eyes briefly and felt his ki rush through his body, instantly drying his skin and hair. He found it was easier than using towels, and saved Bulma from doing even more running around than she normally did. He didn't know how she managed to fit in everything, from working for her father to running after Vegeta.

Since deciding to stay with her, Goku had made the conscious decision to help Bulma out by trying not to be such a nuisance. He never asked her for anything, and had even cut down on his food intake, until Bulma realised what he was doing and demand that he eat as much as he needed. A small grin reached his lips as he thought about her. Bulma certainly was a unique woman, and although he had known her for years now, he was still no closer to understanding her than he was when he was a child.

Goku slipped his gi over his head, his thoughts returning to his plans for the evening. He looked at his reflection quickly in the mirror, hoping that the last month hadn't impacted too much on him physically. He smiled, and while it was as wide and bright as ever, it didn't quite meet his eyes. He let the smile go, and sighed sadly.

He lifted two fingers to his forehead. Perhaps this visit would make everything better. Closing his eyes, Goku placed the location in his thoughts, and a second later he was gone.

"...Dad?"

Goku's heart soared as he heard Gohan speak his name. He turned around to see his son, sitting at his desk, his eyes wide and on his father. The room was dimly lit, the only light coming from the lamp that sat upon the desk. "Hey, kiddo." he spoke softly, as not to alert anyone else to his presence. "Dad... is that really you?" Gohan asked, moving off his chair.

Goku nodded, hiding the fact that Gohan's question was slightly upsetting to him. "Sure is." he replied cheerfully, not letting his other emotions betray him. But his eyebrows furrowed together in confusion, why wasn't Gohan approaching him? Whenever he had been gone for long periods of time, Gohan was always quick to rush to his father for a hug whenever he returned. Tonight, he simply stood on the opposite side of the room, his hands gripping the desk behind him.

"Gohan, what's wrong?"

He hated asking, but there was definitely something not right with Gohan. The young boy looked up at his father, and in the dim light Goku realized that there were tears in his son's eyes. "Why didn't you come and see me before?" Gohan whispered, his voice wavering. "Whenever you've been gone before I've understood that is was impossible for you to come and see me, but-" Gohan gave a small sob, it was clear to Goku that he was trying his best to hold in his emotions, "-but this time you could have seen me whenever you wanted, and you didn't!"

Goku bowed his head slightly, closing his eyes. He could feel Gohan's pain, it was coursing through his own body now as he tried to keep a hold on himself. "I didn't want to upset your mother. I knew I had to give her some room, and that meant I had to stay away. But I couldn't take it anymore. I miss you, Gohan, every day. I shouldn't even be here right now, I was going to wait longer but I couldn't." he explained, opening his eyes and hoping that his son would understand.

Tears spilled down Gohan's cheeks. "It's not fair." he cried softly, wiping his tears away furiously. "Just because Mom hates you now I get punished?" Goku flinched at Gohan's words. Chi-Chi hated him now? Hate was a powerful emotion, and one that Goku had never experienced, and never wished to. He had never wanted it to come to this. He'd never wanted to be selfish, he wanted to do what was right. But then Bulma had come along...

He shook his head slightly at his thoughts. Now was not the time to think about Bulma, no, now he had to concentrate on his son before him. "I know it's not fair. I'm being punished too, not being allowed to see you." he replied, falling to his knees and opening up his hands, just in time to catch Gohan as he launched himself at his father in a flurry of tears.

Goku held his son tightly as he sobbed into his shoulder, rubbing his back to soothe him. This was one of the most painful things he had ever done. And he knew that eventually he would have to leave Gohan once more, but pushed that thought out of his mind as soon as it appeared. No, he would concentrate on what was happening that very moment, on his son that was in his arms.

Stretching out her arms before she opened the fridge, Bulma was in search of a halfway decent meal in order to fill her growling stomach. But when here eyes met with the bare minimums, she knew that her two house-guests had cleared her out of food. Slamming the fridge door shut, she let out a shriek of frustration. She knew that Saiyans ate a lot, but the refrigerator had only been stocked full two days earlier.

"Are you trying to render me deaf, woman?"

Bulma turned around to see a figure step out of the night's shadows, rolling her eyes when they settled upon a scowling face. "Well maybe if you hadn't cleaned me out of house and home, then I wouldn't be so annoyed!" she replied angrily. Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "House and home?" he repeated, his voice confused. Bulma sighed. "Earth saying, Vegeta. Meaning that pretty much you have eaten everything in the house." she explained.

Vegeta huffed. "It's not my fault that you had not properly planned to feed a Saiyan Prince." he retorted coolly, folding his arms in his usual fashion. "I'm not used to feeding both you and Goku." Bulma replied, suddenly realizing that not having enough food was most likely her own fault, that when figuring out how much to buy she had focused on the two Saiyans, and forgotten to include herself and her parents into the equation. Not that she would allow Vegeta to gloat about such a thing, of course.

Vegeta's eyes darkened when the female mentioned Kakarott. He would be much happier if the younger Saiyan returned to his mate, and let Vegeta continue with his task of making the blue-haired earthling his. "Well, now you aware of the problem, then you will be able to rectify it." he spoke again, choosing his words carefully. Bulma looked at him, her eyes widened slightly. "I just have to buy more food."

Vegeta smirked. "Precisely." he replied, before turning around and heading out of the kitchen, leaving Bulma to simply stare after him. Had Vegeta almost been nice to her? Surely such a thing wasn't possible. But that was probably the nicest conversation she had ever experienced with the Saiyan Prince. She couldn't help but smile. Hopefully it wouldn't be the last.

"Do you have to go, Dad?"

Goku looked down at his son and nodded gently. Kami knew he didn't want to, but he knew that in the end, it was for the best. He had spent a good hour with Gohan, talking about trivial things, such as his homework and chores. Goku hadn't wanted to delve into things that would make both of them upset. He knew that a time would come for that conversation, but he would hold it off for as long as he could.

He knelt down and gave Gohan one last hug, the tightest and longest one thus far. He was almost afraid to let go, and knew that Gohan was feeling the same way. "Can't you take me with you?" Gohan whispered into his shoulder, causing Goku to close his eyes in an attempt to keep his emotions at bay. "I wish I could. But your mom needs you, kiddo."

Goku knew that Chi-Chi needed Gohan. He did as well, but he had Bulma, and his friends. Chi-Chi only had her father, she didn't have any close girlfriends, they had shared his friends throughout their marriage. He pulled back from Gohan, who's head was bowed as he nodded. Goku patted his shoulder before standing up, two fingers moving to his forehead. "Be good now, son."

Gohan nodded, before suddenly launching himself towards Goku. "No, Dad, please don't-"

Goku appeared in the trees, his breathing heavy as his emotions dared to be freed. Gohan's last words to him, the sentence that had been cut short as he had disappeared from his room, were playing over and over in his mind. The hurt in his son's eyes, the broken tone of his voice, he had done the worst thing a father could do, and that was hurt his son.

"I was wondering when you would show up."

Goku turned his head sharply to see the owner of the familiar voice, moving his eyes back to the lit window. "I thought it would be best if I gave him some time." he replied, folding his arms, trying his best to keep his thoughts together. The last thing he needed at that moment was to break down, especially not in front of someone who was once his enemy.

Moving closer to Goku, Piccolo also turned his eyes to the window, illuminated by light, his sensitive ears picking up the sobs of the boy inside. "He's been trying." Piccolo stated in a solemn voice, his eyes closing briefly. "I don't think he fully understands the situation but he's been doing his best. However, it doesn't take a genius to know that he misses you." he explained, now turning his eyes back to Goku.

His eyes widened with panic as he caught sight of Goku clutching his chest, right where his heart was situated. "Goku, has the heart virus return-" "No." Goku replied, his voice wavering. "It's not the virus, but..." He locked eyes with Piccolo, who was surprised to see moisture in the Saiyan's ebony orbs. "It hurts. My heart hurts when I think about Gohan, when I think about Chi-Chi, when I think about everything..."

Piccolo had never experienced grief, but he was certain that it was in front of his eyes at that moment. It was almost as if Goku was another person at that moment, he had never seen the man in such a state. During fights it had been different, grief and sorrow had taken a different form to this, resulting in anger and power, and in a more recent case, it had caused Goku to transform into the legendary Super Saiyan.

But now all he could see was woe and hopelessness before him, and it was a look on Goku that he didn't like in the least. Goku was the most powerful being on the Earth, to see him in such a state was disconcerting. He placed a hand on the man's shoulder. "You need to be strong, if not for yourself, then for Gohan. You cannot change what has happened, instead you must focus on getting past it. You mustn't let these things cloud your thoughts. We still have much more important things to concentrate on."

Goku's hand fell from his chest as he straightened up and nodded. "You're right." he commented. Piccolo was always right. "I can't be in this state of mind, I have to focus on working things through." his fists clenched by his sides. "And focus on my training." Goku had to admit that for the past month, his thoughts had not been on the impending battle with the Androids as they should have been, but on his personal woes.

"I should go." he commented, placing a hand on Piccolo's shoulder, making the Namekian glance at him with a slightly peculiar look on his face. "Take care of Gohan for me. Make sure that he trains, we're going to need him if this fight is as tough as we have been told." Piccolo nodded. "You have my word, Goku." he replied, and Goku's hand went to his forehead, before he disappeared once more.

Piccolo closed his eyes. If things continued the way they were, there was no way that Goku would be ready for the Androids.


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

_**Author's Note;** So I finally got this next chapter out. I want to apologise for the delay of an update, RL has just been so hectic lately that I haven't really had the time to really get back into the writing mode and be inspired or motivated. Well, until now. This chapter is dedicated to a good friend of mine who demanded that I keep writing because he loved the story so much. Pew, I wuv joo. :3_

Bulma sighed as she sat at her desk, twirling a pen between her fingers as she held up her head with her free hand. Life has certainly slowed down, at least for her. With a year left to get as powerful as they could, both Vegeta and Goku were seldom seen around the place. Vegeta was constantly in his gravity machine, now the sixth remake that Bulma and her father had been forced to build.

Goku however, normally just seemed to vanish early in the morning, and then arrive back home late at night to get a few hours of sleep. Bulma was worried. She knew Goku was eating, due to the large amount of food that seemed to literally disappear each day and the fact that Vegeta had now taken to ordering in his own food, and he was obviously sleeping, but not as much as he once had.

It felt like Goku was slipping through her fingers again. The first few months of having Goku around had been wonderful, and it brought back memories of their time together when they were younger. There was something else there, something they both felt, but weren't sure enough to act upon. And then, Goku just began to drift away from her.

She knew the divorce had taken it's toll on him, and spending time with Gohan had been very limited. But she had tried her best to get him through the tough time, and it felt the more she tried, the more he pushed her away. Now it had been days since they had last spoken. And frankly, Bulma wasn't willing to cope with it.

Standing up from her desk, she clenched the pen tightly in her hand. She was going to set things straight. Checking her watch, she gave a small smile. Goku would likely arrive back within the next half an hour. Then she would be able to discuss her frustrations with him, and sort their issues out. She missed him, and she wasn't going to lose him without a fight.

Bulma strode out of her lab, brushing her aquamarine hair over her shoulder. She'd been content with growing it out, deciding to be unconventional as all the ladies in the city wore theirs short. Bulma wasn't a conformist, she set her own trends, and that wasn't about to change any time soon.

A figure loomed in the hallway just ahead of her, and Bulma couldn't help but roll her eyes slightly.

"Woman, I demand that you fix that damned machine of yours. Once again, it appears to have malfunctioned." Vegeta glared at her, his gaze ferocious that any other woman would have fainted from pure fear. Bulma simply snorted at him. "I know that it's not broken, you're just not using it properly, as per usual. What, is it too complex for you? I could easily write you up a manual-"

Vegeta snarled. "Are you suggesting that I, the Prince of Saiyans, am at fault here? Clearly woman, you are incapable of learning, for you should know better." he retorted, giving her his trademark smirk before remembering his fury. "Fix it, or you can say goodbye to your precious city."

Bulma closed her eyes and took in a deep breath as Vegeta stormed off. She was used to dealing with the Saiyan Prince, but it just seemed that over time, his demands had become even more ridiculous, and she questioned if they simply a cry for attention. She had to admit she enjoyed the verbal spars, no man had been able to catch up with her and her witted tongue before, and Vegeta was a fine foe if she did say so herself.

But she had no time to focus on Vegeta, having much more important matters to attend to. Goku's room was right near her own, it was how she had figured out when he came home at night. She slipped into his bedroom, leaving the room dark, hoping not to freak out Goku when he arrived. Bulma sat down on his bed, crossing her legs and closing her eyes, waiting.

Luckily for Bulma, she didn't have to wait long. A few minutes later, she felt a slight breeze, and could sense the presence of another person. Before she had a chance to announce herself, Goku sat down on the bed beside her.

"Not to be rude Bulma...but don't you have your own bed?" he asked rather innocently, and Bulma fought the urge to wrap her arms around his neck. She smiled instead. "How did you know I was here?" she inquired, already knowing the answer, simply trying to make small talk. "Your energy signal. I'd know it anywhere." Goku replied, before getting off the bed and switching on the light, before turning back to Bulma, his tired face breaking into a grin. "And now I can see you!"

Bulma gave a small chuckle, before indicating for Goku to join her on the bed once more. He frowned slightly before joining her. "Are you okay Bulma?" he questioned, cocking his head slightly to the side. "I'm alright. Just...missing you, I guess. You're never around these days, sometimes I even forget that you've been living here." Bulma admitted, wringing her hands together as she spoke.

"I only have a year left to become as strong as possible. I can't afford to lose this battle, to lose my friends. I've been training as much as I possibly can, to strengthen my abilities." Goku explained, leaning back on the bed momentarily before he placed a warm hand on Bulma's back. "I'm sorry I haven't been around. I've missed you too."

Revelling in the warmth of the hand that laid upon her back, Bulma lowered her head slightly. Those words were like music to her ears. "I know...I know things have been tough on you lately, considering everything that's been happening with-" she cut herself off, worried that she would upset Goku once more. "I just want you to know...you're not alone with this. I'm here for you, whenever you need, okay?"

Goku gave no reply, instead moving the hand that rested on Bulma's back up and down in a soothing manner. She turned to look at him, noticing the dark bags under his once-bright eyes that now looked so dull and lifeless. He gave her a half-hearted smile. "I should really be heading to bed now." he stated, removing his hand from Bulma and rubbing his right eye.

Bulma nodded and stood up, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving it a light squeeze. "Okay." she said softly, before leaning down and kissing his forehead. Goku looked up in surprise, but her face gave nothing away as she left the room and closed the door, leaving Goku to himself and his thoughts.

He ran a hand through his black hair, giving a yawn at the same time. With all the training he had been subjecting himself to, there just hadn't been enough time for the sleep he needed in order to wholly recover. And his thoughts had made it difficult to rest easy as well. Goku had never really had any trouble drifting off into a deep slumber, but then again, his life had always been easy, simple, carefree.

He pulled off his ripped and dirty gi, slipping on his pajama pants and then sliding into his bed. He knew that he should probably have opted to go and have a shower and clean himself of the day's training, but he was certain that if he were to do that, he would most likely fall asleep in the bathroom.

Resting his head gently on the pillow, Goku stared at the ceiling. It had been good to see Bulma, he had missed her greatly, more than he had ever remembered. It was small things, her laugh, her smile, the way she rolled her eyes at something. And yet, at the same time, Goku had purposely been avoiding her.

It was nothing that Bulma had outwardly done, it was simply that Goku didn't know how to handle the situation. Chi-Chi was still furious with him, and was not making anything easy for him. Gohan was visibly upset every time he and Goku got to see one another, and seeing the anguish and sadness that was now permanently etched on his young son's face was breaking Goku's heart.

He wanted to be happy, but being the selfless man that he was, he would have rathered everyone else around him be happy. For Chi-Chi to smile and not scowl every time he looked upon her face. For Gohan to not be constantly upset and worrying about his parents. For Bulma to have the brightness that he once found in her blue eyes.

She was hiding her feelings, Goku had known her long enough to be able to tell. She was putting on a brave face and acting like nothing was wrong, when clearly there was. He was aware that he was the cause of the problem. His mind kept returning to the moment they had had in the kitchen, the almost-kiss they had shared. It haunted his mind, at that point he had still been with Chi-Chi, and knew such a thing was wrong, and yet it had felt so right at the time.

His eyelids growing heavy, Goku closed his eyes. A few fleeting images passed through his semi-coherent thoughts, including that of a purple-haired teen from the future. But he had no time to dwell on it, sleep finally taking over his body.

The next morning Goku awake to the sun's ray blasting light into his room. He blinked a few times before sitting up, once again, his sleep had been restless. Stretching his arms up above his head, he thought it may be a good idea to see Gohan again. He felt like time was slipping away from him when it came to his young son, and he knew that Gohan wished to spend more time with his father,

Slipping out of bed he headed for the bathroom, grabbing a new, clean set of clothes on the way. He passed by Bulma's bedroom, the door slightly ajar. His curiosity getting the better of him, Goku quietly pushed the door open further and entered the room, looking upon a sleeping Bulma, her limbs stretched everywhere and the sheet hardly covering her body. Luckily for them both she was wearing a daggy pair of sweat-pants and an old t-shirt that Goku recognised as Yamcha's.

He leaned over closer, amazing at her beauty. As he looked closer, he could see moisture on the sides of her face, coming from her now-closed eyes. Had Bulma been crying? Goku frowned. Perhaps things with Bulma were worse than he had noticed. He was determined to spend more time with her and make more of an effort, after all, she had allowed him to stay in her home.

Silently he moved closer and brushed a lock of her aquamarine hair off her face, stroking her cheek with the back of his warm hand in one fluid movement. Goku proceeded to then leave her to her slumber and continue on with his trip to the shower, hoping that maybe the cool running water would help to ease his mind a little more.

Back in her bedroom, Bulma stirred slightly, her eyes opening for a moment before closing once more. She could have sworn that there had been someone else in her room, a warm, comforting presence, but there was no-one around. As she quickly drifted back to sleep, she came to the conclusion that it must have been her mother in a quest for dirty laundry.

It certainly was a warm day, and Goku could feel the heat on the back of his neck as he walked up to the Ox King's manor. Knocking loudly, he stood back from the door and braced himself for impact.

"Coming! Who is- Oh, it's you." Chi-Chi grimaced as she opened the door, her once-cheery demeanour dropping from her face in an instant. "Goku, what do you want?" she asked bluntly, holding the door ajar with one hand and placing the other upon her hip. "I was hoping I could spend some time with Gohan today." Goku replied, trying his best to keep up his bright smile.

Chi-Chi frowned. "He needs to catch up on his studying. You should know how important that is." Goku sighed as his smile faltered slightly. "I know that, but it's such a beautiful day today. I thought I could maybe take him fishing, or go on a hike-""

"Dad?"

Gohan's head slipped around the door, and Goku beamed. "Hey champ." he greeted his son, who then proceeded to run through the door despite his mother trying to block him and into his father arms. Goku hugged Gohan tightly, almost afraid to let go. Gohan reluctantly pulled back from his father, a quizzical look on his face. "Dad, what are you doing here?"

Goku laughed and then scratched the back of his head momentarily. "Well I was hoping that because today is so nice I could take you out and we could do something together." he explained, looking at Chi-Chi and then instantly regretting it. Her face was livid. Gohan turned around to face his mother as well, seemingly ignoring the intense fury that was now etched in her features. "Can I go Mom? Please?"

"What about your studies?" she question Gohan, who did not falter. "I'll do them when I get home, plus more, I promise." the small boy replied, and Goku could see that his fingers were crossed, hidden from Chi-Chi's view. She looked back at Goku, and scowled at him, with a look he had seen quite often, but on Vegeta's face, not hers. "Fine. Make sure you get him back before dark, Goku." she spat, before turning on her heels and moving back into the house.

"Well kiddo, got everything you need?" Goku asked Gohan, crouching down slightly so he was at a similar height to his son. Gohan nodded enthusiastically. "Yep!" "Well then, what did you want to do?" Goku asked as they began to walk off, and he couldn't help but notice that Gohan kept sneaking glances back at the house before he answered. "Dad, could we train?"

Goku let out a chuckle before ruffling Gohan's ebony hair with his hand. "That's my boy!" he exclaimed, not at all surprised. Gohan was certainly his father's son, there was no doubt about that. "Got anywhere in particular?" he inquired, trying to think of a good place to test his son's developing skills.

Gohan's cheeks flushed red momentarily. "Can...can we go home? The places we used to train around there are my favourites."

It took Goku a moment before he realized that Gohan was referring to Mt Paozu, where they had all lived once as a happy family. He hadn't been back there since Bulma had come to collect him after Chi-Chi had left, it held too many memories that he hadn't had time to deal with, his training had been his main focus as of late. But he could see the hope in Gohan's eyes, and who was he to refuse his son of such a thing? He nodded, and grabbed Gohan's shoulder before placing two fingers to his forehead.

Seconds later they appeared in front of the family home that had once shared. Goku fought within himself to hold back the flood of emotions that threatened to erupt. He looked down at Gohan, who appeared to be having a harder time. He was fighting the tears, but to no avail, they still streamed down his cheeks. Goku placed a comforting hand on Gohan's head before returning his eyes to the house before them.

Gohan had been born in that house, and lived his entire life within it. He could understand that Gohan was attached the the place, as he himself was. He could still see the older building, where he had resided with the older Gohan, the man he had referred to as his Grandpa, where he had trained for the early years of his life, the training he now passed on to his son.

He patted Gohan's head lightly. "Come on Gohan, let's go." he said softly, the younger Saiyan nodding his head but saying nothing. The both hovered in the air and flew to a nearby open field, one that they had trained on many times before. The sun bared down on them as they landed, taking in the scope of the land. Gohan took off his clothes, revealing his gi underneath, the ones that matched those worn by his early mentor, Piccolo.

Goku grinned, taking off his own day clothes to reveal his orange gi beneath. "Are you ready son?" he asked, crouching into a defensive stance. "You bet!" Gohan replied, taking an offensive stance opposite his father. Goku grinned. "Well then, show me what you've got!"

Goku walked up the Ox King manor once more, as the light in the sky began to darken. He looked down at his sleeping son in his arms, hoping that Chi-Chi wouldn't become suspicious of their actions of the day. Shifting Gohan into one arm he knocked on the door with his free hand. He heard footsteps and moved Gohan back so he was more comfortable as the door opened.

Chi-Chi said nothing, only looking at Goku for a moment before her eyes fell on Gohan. She gasped. "My baby! Is he alright? What on earth did you do Goku?" she demanded to know as she stepped forward and began to fuss over their sleeping son. "He just fell asleep, he had a tiring day." Goku explained, moving Gohan into Chi-Chi's arms.

She looked over the sleeping boy momentarily before her dark eyes snapped back to Goku, the rage that was now within them unnerving. "You trained with him, didn't you." she spoke, her voice steady and low. Goku winced. He had attempted to clean off Gohan's wounds and the dirt his skin had accumulated, but apparently it had not been a good enough job. Not that he was surprised. Goku knew that Chi-Chi was very perceptive and had a keen eye.

Chi-Chi took in a deep breath before she focused her eyes on Goku again. "I don't think you should see Gohan anymore. It's detrimental to his studies, and to his health. You can't force him into being a fighter like you, not when he could go to college, become a doctor or a scholar and then live the rest of his life comfortably. Fighting will get him nowhere, and I want the best for my son."

Goku's face fell. "Chi-Chi, you can't just take him away from me." he replied, trying his hardest to stay calm. Chi-Chi's face did not change. "I am doing what is best for my son, and for me. You have turned both of our lives upside down just because of-" she hesitated, before speaking once more. "You brought this on yourself. You made a decision to deceive your family. Now you pay for the consequences."

Without another word Chi-Chi turned around and entered the house once more, closing the door behind her. Goku stood silent for a moment, the emotions within him struggling to stay contained. He raised two shaky fingers to his forehead, his need to get as far away from that place as possible growing with each passing second.

Seconds later, Goku appeared on the lawn of Capsule Corp. He took a step towards the house, and then his emotions broke lose. Yellow flames erupting around his body, he let out a scream of despair and woe, falling to his knees.


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

_**Author's Note; **__What's that? I'm back with another update, so soon? Correct! After the reviews for chapter ten and the requests for more updates, I am here to please. Hopefully the updates will become more regular, as I am finally getting into the main plot of this story. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, added this story to their favourites, and added myself as a favourite author. It means a lot and compels me to continue. _

_So enjoy, and remember that reviews are very, VERY much loved. :)_

"Kami Vegeta, got enough food there?"

Vegeta scowled at Bulma, who was leaning over the counter in the kitchen, throwing him a sly smirk, one he found himself proud of, despite the fact that it was aimed at him. She was referring to the many containers he had placed down on the table, his ordered meal for that night. He had become accustomed to ordering food via the phone, he found it much easier than requesting either the earth woman or her twit of a mother cook for him, and then having to deal with them while he awaited to eat.

He said nothing in reply to Bulma's statement, choosing instead to simply stare her down. It was a new tactic he had when it came to her, he could tell it irked her, and greatly. But this time, she was determined to not back down. She instead stared right back at him, the kitchen in silence, the tension between the pair growing.

An anguished scream broke their concentration, a bright light shining through the windows. Bulma was the first to look away, but Vegeta did not have time to celebrate his victory. The energy signal he felt at that moment was colossal, and far above his own. He narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth.

"Kakarott."

Bulma turned her eyes to Vegeta again but the Saiyan Prince had disappeared, obviously to investigate. She looked back to the window, the light growing brighter with each passing second. She blinked, before the realization set in. "Goku!" she exclaimed, dashing from the kitchen and making her way outside as fast as she could, making sure not to run into anything or fall on her face.

She finally made her way to the front lawn, Vegeta's silhouette just visible in the light. She stood next to him, holding a hand up over her face, the light becoming too bright for her human eyes. "Are you sure that's Goku?" she asked Vegeta softly. "I am positive." he replied tentatively, his arms crossed.

"Goku?" Bulma called out, moving closer, her hand still protecting her eyes. The light dimmed slightly. "Bulma?" she heard a small wavering voice cry out, one she recognised, but it was the tone that frightened her. Never had she heard Goku so anguished.

Bulma continued to edge forward, the light continuing to dim before she could lower her hand and make out the figure surrounded by light. She ran to Goku, dropping to her knees and wrapping her arms around him tightly, one hand rubbing his back soothingly. "I'm here, it's alright." she whispered, focusing on calming him down before attending to the problem of what had caused him to have such a reaction.

Goku did not reply, instead moving his arms to cling to Bulma's petite frame, his head buried in her shoulder. "She won't let me see Gohan anymore." he murmured into her skin, his voice breaking. Bulma held Goku tighter. "I'm so sorry." she replied softly, stroking his hair. "You shouldn't have to go through this. This is all my fault."

Goku pulled back and looked at Bulma, and she was speechless to see that his face was red and puffy, his eyes full of moisture. Never in all their years of friendship had she seen him in such a state. Tears formed in her own eyes, she wished to have never seen her best friend like this. Simply because she had let her feelings take control, she should have simply kept them buried and to herself.

Goku's hands cupped Bulma's face. "Don't apologize, when you have nothing to apologize for." he told her sternly, although his voice wavered. "I won't have you placing the blame on yourself." Bulma said nothing in return, instead moving her hands to Goku's face and wiping away the tears. Seemingly much calmer, Goku broke out of his transformation, his green eyes and golden hair returning to their natural ebony colour once more.

They stood up together, holding one another's hands. Bulma gave Goku a small smile, and he managed to return it. She squeezed his hands, in reassurance that things would be alright, that they would get through it, when the both felt the pair of eyes glaring at them, fuming.

Vegeta stood watching them, livid. No matter how hard he had tried, or how successful he had been when it came to trying to encourage the woman to become his, Kakarott had already won. It was simply another thing he had robbed the Saiyan Prince of. Vegeta still hadn't managed to reach the transformation of a Super Saiyan, and never had he been more determined.

Throwing them both one last glare, he strode over to the gravity chamber, closing the door behind him. He couldn't take this anymore, the woman was infecting his mind, his thoughts, his every breath. If he was to truly win her, he would have to rid himself of the only thing standing in his way – Kakarott.

Pressing buttons, he made up his mind. He needed to get away, to not have any hindering thoughts as he trained, to achieve the ultimate level of power. His finger moved to the large red button, and he felt the chamber's engines start up. There was only one place he could train with absolutely no distractions, and that was within the deep realms of space.

Bulma and Goku watched as the gravity chamber moved up off the ground, and Bulma was reminded that it had also been built as a space machine. Vegeta was leaving, and she had no clue when he would return, or even if he would. Goku, on the other hand, was reassured that Vegeta simply needed to let off a little steam. He could tell that Vegeta had still not yet achieved the transformation of becoming a Super Saiyan, and with a little less than a year left to go before the androids would make their appearance, Vegeta was most likely desperate.

They stood together on the lawn for a few moments longer, watching Vegeta's spacecraft as it moved higher and higher into the sky, before disappearing completely. Wordless, they made their way into the house, Bulma leading Goku into the kitchen, where Vegeta's discarded food still lay in it's containers upon the table. Bulma indicated to the mass with her hand. "Go for it." she told the hungry Saiyan, knowing that he needed a good feed.

Goku took a seat at the table and began to open the containers, noticing it had cooled down but he heated it with his hand, saving Bulma multiple trips to the microwave. He pointed to the seat beside him. "Want to join me?" he asked her, but Bulma shook her head. "I've already eaten, but thank you for asking. I think I might head to bed, I've had a long day." she answered softly, knowing that she wanted to stay with Goku and find out just what had happened that day, but it would most likely make him upset again. They would talk about it later.

Bulma moved over to Goku and kissed the top of his head. "Good night, Goku. If you need anything, you know where to find me." She then reluctantly left him and trudged her way to her room, closing the door behind her.

Goku sat silent at the table, swallowing what contents he held in his mouth. Was Bulma angry with him? He sighed and sat the container he was holding on the table, along with the chopsticks he had been using to consume the food. His outburst earlier outside was something that had never occurred before, he was always in control of his emotions, and very rarely were they bad ones.

Madness, anger, sadness, grief, they were all emotions he had felt at that moment, and ones that he was not acquainted with at all. The closest thing he had felt to that had been when Frieza had killed Krillin on Namek, mercilessly, mockingly. It was that event that triggered his first transformation into a Super Saiyan.

Despite the mess he had become on her lawn, Bulma had not looked at him with fear, nor pity in her eyes. All he had found there was sadness, almost as if his pain was her own. He hated the fact that she was blaming herself for the misfortune he had been going through lately, it was clearly not her fault but his own. As Chi-Chi had said, he had brought it upon himself through his actions.

They needed time away from him, and perhaps he needed the time away as well. It was obvious that Chi-Chi would not forgive him, and if she by some miracle did, it would take a very long time. While he wanted Gohan to grow up and follow in his footsteps to became a powerful warrior and help to save the world if the time came, he could still see that not only was his son powerful, he was very smart and could, as Chi-Chi had said, become a doctor or a scholar.

It was going to hurt, not seeing his son for a while, but they would reunite again, under better circumstances when Chi-Chi would calm down. Goku hoped she would move on, and find happiness again. While he did not love her in the way he knew that he should, he still cared about her deeply, despite the way she had been treating him.

Taking the container back and grabbing his chopsticks once more, Goku continued his meal, his thoughts taking a backseat as his hunger took over once more. He would talk to Bulma about everything in the morning, but for now he had an empty stomach to fill before letting himself have a good night's rest.

+-+

Bulma lay in her bed, her eyes closed, her mind busy. Seeing Goku like that earlier had rocked her to the core. He wasn't dealing with everything, and Chi-Chi had now banned him from seeing their son. The guilt seeped through her body like an infection. She should have known better. Now because of her selfishness, people were paying the price. People who were important to her.

She and Chi-Chi had never been the best of friends, but they were still friendly with one another, or at least had been.. Gohan was like a nephew to her, they had grown close over the time they had spent in Namek. And Goku was her best friend. Seeing him in such pain was hurting her, every time she saw him the dull ache appeared in her heart.

She rolled to her side, when a wave of nervousness washed over her body. She could feel eyes staring at her, watching her every move. Dark, powerful eyes. Staring right through her soul, judging her silently. She sat up, the room so dark that she could not see anyone, but she could feel their presence.

"Vegeta?"

Only one pair of eyes could make her feel like that. It seemed the Saiyan Prince had returned, had the spacecraft malfunctioned? She doubted it, none of the others had done so, the technology her father had created was almost flawless. Her skin prickled with goosebumps. Why was he here, in her room, watching her? Had he come back, simply for her? She gulped and moved over to switch on her lamp.

When light flooded the room, she was surprised to find Goku, not Vegeta, standing against the wall, his eyes focused on her. Something was wrong, his eyes were dark, menacing, matching a look that only Vegeta would wear. Still, she gave a sigh of relief. "Oh, Goku, it's only you. Are you alright? Do you need to talk or some-" she broke off her sentence as Goku moved towards her, his demeanour not faltering at all.

She pulled up the covers, suddenly feeling fear, an emotion she had never once associated with her Saiyan friend. Goku simply grabbed the sheets and ripped them off her, before pushing her down on the bed forcefully, his eyes not blinking, the stare continuing. "Please, Goku..." Bulma begged, trying to fight the tears as Goku held her down, tugging at her pants. "Not like this..."

Bulma shot up in her bed, panting heavily. The room was dark once more, the sheets covering her body. A thick sheen of sweat laid upon her skin. It had simply been a dream. She ran a hand through her aquamarine hair. It had been so real, so vivid, and yet she knew that Goku would never act in such a way, he would never do such a thing.

Her door burst open and she gave a yelp before the light turned on, Goku standing beside her bed, his eyes worried. "Bulma, are you okay?" he asked her gently, sitting beside her on the bed. Bulma bit her lip before moving closer to him and wrapping her arms around him. "A bad dream." she admitted, feeling as he moved his arms to hold her.

"What about?" Goku questioned, rubbing her back soothingly. Bulma frowned slightly, glad Goku could not see it. "The androids." she lied, not wanting to delve into her true nightmare. What would Goku think if she told him about how he had acted in her dream? She didn't like lying, especially to Goku, but it was better than having to deal with his reaction to the truth.

Goku pulled Bulma back slightly so he could look at her again, only a mere few inches between them. The worry in his eyes lessened, much to her relief. "Don't worry Bulma, they won't be too much of a threat once we are done with them. Everyone has been training so hard, and become so much more powerful." he reassured her, his face breaking into a grin.

Bulma returned his smile with a weaker one of her own. She did worry about the androids, but not to the degree of some. She knew how powerful her friends were, and how much stronger they would surely have all become. Her eyes focused on Goku. He was a Super Saiyan, there was no-one who could beat him. The androids had no chance.

His face barely inches away from her own, Bulma could feel Goku's hot breath fanning her face. His eyes full of concern, focused on her own bright blue ones, and Bulma had never felt more content. She leaned closer, her lips almost brushing against his, her eyes closing on their own accord as she continued to move in.

"Bulma... I can't."

Her eyes shot open, and Goku and moved his head back, his eyes now staring at the floor. Rejected, Bulma removed her arms from him and moved back as well, trying to control herself. She had been so close to kissing him, and she had been sure that he had wanted to kiss her back. His statement wounded her, whether she liked it or not.

She nodded her head, biting her lip again. "Fair enough." she replied back weakly, her eyes looking everywhere else but him. She wrung her hands together, awkward tension filling the air. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have forced myself on you, don't worry, I won't try it again." she apologised, when she felt two fingers under her chin, lifting her head up so that her eyes met with Goku's again.

He gave her a small smile. "I just can't right now, I need...time." Goku told her softly, before leaning forward, his lips brushing her cheek ever so slightly. He then moved off the bed and walked over to the door. "Night Bulma." he switched off the light and left to room, closing the door behind him, leaving Bulma in the dark to her thoughts.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Author's Note; **__I'm alive! And incredibly apologetic to all my amazing readers and reviewers. I know it's been over a year since I last posted, things have just been so hectic on my end. My computer decided to die on me, so I had lost all my writing stuff – including my plots (yes, I plot out my stories before I begin to write, then add new things as I continue) but then I managed to save my hard-drive and turn in into an external hard-drive. So I got it all back, yay! Then I moved, had some personal things to deal with and had a case of writer's block which I thought might be eternal, but now here I am, with a brand-spanking-new chapter!_

_So the next two chapters will be time-jumps. This is set about six months on from the last chapter, and chapter thirteen (which shall also be out shortly, in about a week if you're all good :P) is set another six months on, on the morning of the arrival of the androids. I know this might upset some of you, but when we reach what happened in the show, that's when this story really gets started. This will be going all the way through into the Buu saga. So prepare to be in it for the long haul!_

_All I ask is that you bear with me, and I promise to deliver all the Goku/Bulma-ness you deserve!_

Also found the funniest review on Chapter Six by Korrin - 'Looks like Goku can't ride the Nimbus no moar.' I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard.

_This chapter is dedicated to my Poppy, who I lost to cancer in March. RIP. _

CHAPTER TWELVE

Bulma stared intently at her reflection, her bright blue orbs assessing every small detail at the mirrored image before her. A sigh escaped her lips, and she made her way over to her make-up desk, grabbing remover towelettes on the way.

This had been her routine every day for the past six months. Her sexiest outfit, her best make-up, her hair down sometimes, up on other days, only for it all to be removed moments later.

He liked her better when she was all natural anyway.

He'd asked for time. Bulma had gladly given it to him. But it had been a year, and nothing had happened. Had he changed his mind? Had it all been in her head? Bulma stood up, her face now free of product and moved over to her wardrobe, undressing on her way. She pulled on a comfy summer dress, pink with purple flowers outlined on the material, and slipped a matching purple headband onto her head.

Goku had been so busy training, it felt like she'd hardly seen him. He was determined to defeat the androids and save everyone, to change the predictions of the strange young man who had come from the future. Bulma's curiosity about the boy still lingered, who was he? With a Capsule Corporation logo on his jacket, he must have been someone she knew. But seeming as he had come from the future, he would only be a baby in this time.

Pondering for a moment, Bulma tried to recollect if any of her father's employees had announced they were expecting or had recently given birth, but nothing rang a bell. And then there was his Saiyan heritage, he had been able to transform like Goku.

Her eyes widened.

Maybe...maybe Goku was the strange boy's father.

And his the logo on his jacket could mean that...

...she was his mother?

He _had_ looked at her peculiarly.

Bulma could feel her cheeks rapidly growing warmer. Could he really have been the future son of she and Goku? She was determined to find out. A growing smile on her face, she made her way out of her bedroom and into the kitchen were she found her mother rummaging through the copious amounts of cans that were strewn across the benches.

"Morning Mom! You haven't seen Goku anywhere have you? I have something important to discuss with him."

Bunny looked up and threw her daughter a beaming grin. "I believe he's out training in the yard. Such a strong man, with all those muscles...if I wasn't a married woman..." she trailed off, giggling to herself.

Bulma blocked the mental image of her mother fawning over Goku like a teenage school-girl as she went to leave the kitchen and head outside. "Thanks Mom!"

"Actually, Bulma?" Bunny called out, halting Bulma dead in her tracks. "Yeah?" the younger woman replied, turning around. "Could you help me sort out these cans? There's so many and I don't want to be stuck in the kitchen all day!" Bunny sighed, holding a hand to her forehead for dramatic effect.

Bulma sighed. Her questions for Goku would simply have to wait. "Sure thing. How are we sorting them?" she asked, dreading the answer. "Well, first by product, and then alphabetical, and then by calorie content." Bunny answered, staring intently at one of the cans. "I have to watch my weight you know!"

Three hours later, all the cans were stacked neatly in the cupboard, organised to Bunny's specifications. Bulma took a seat at the counter, knowing she would be content with never having to see a can ever again. "Thank you so much for your help sweetie!" her mother chirped, handing Bulma a tall cold glass of lemonade. "It's fine Mom." she replied, taking a sip and revelling in the taste.

Bunny leaned over the counter, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Didn't you want to go and see Goku?" she inquired, mixing her own drink with a bright pink straw. Bulma lifted her head up slightly. She'd completely forgotten, she'd been meaning to go and talk to Goku about the purple-haired boy.

Downing her drink quickly, the fizziness tickling the back of her throat, she stood up and took her glass over to the sink, giving it a rinse. "Thanks Mom!" she exclaimed, before rushing out the door.

Bulma made her way through the hallway and down a flight of stairs that led to her and her father's personal laboratories. As soon as her foot hit the bottom step, she heard the phone ring in her lab, and rushed quickly to answer it.

"Hello, this is Bulma Briefs speaking."

"_Bulma?"_

"...Yamcha?"

"_Yeah, it's me."_

Bulma swallowed a gulp. She hadn't spoken to Yamcha since she had rejected his proposal of marriage.

Then she remembered that he had accused her of sleeping with Vegeta, the reason why she hadn't spoken to him since that day.,

Her eyes narrowed.

"What do you want, Yamcha?"

"_Look, I'm sorry about what I said. You have to understand, I was hurt by you saying no. You gotta believe me."_

"You still didn't answer my question."

"_...I miss you, babe."_

Bulma sighed, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose with two fingers. The last time they had broken up, it had been for good. There would be no on-again for their relationship, it was over. She already had enough issues dealing with her feelings for Goku.

Goku. She remembered that she was heading off to meet him, to ask him about something important. But what? Her mind was not working with her, and her memory was cloudy.

"_Babe?"_

Yamcha's voice through the phone brought Bulma out of her thoughts.

"Please don't call me that. It's been well over a year Yamcha, I would have thought you'd figured out by now that we are not meant to be together."

"_Ba- Bulma, listen to me. I know I haven't been around, I've been focused on training for when the Androids arrive. But I was thinking the other day... I don't want to die alone like that kid said."_

The purple-haired boy! That's what she was going to talk to Goku about.

"So it's not that you want to be with me, it''s that you don't want to die alone? Honestly Yamcha, your pick-up lines are getting worse."

"_...I'm out of practice. I don't want anyone but you."_

"Yamcha... I'm sorry, but we just don't work as well as we used to. You have to understand that there's no going back there. I've moved on, and you so should you."

"_...wait, you have boyfriend?"_

"I never said that-"

"_I bet it's Vegeta, that arrogant son of a bi-"_

Bulma slammed down the phone, not wanting to hear the rest of Yamcha's ranting. The idea of her and Vegeta together was simply preposterous. Sure, there had been some fantasies in her head about reforming Vegeta from his bad-boy ways, but that was all it had ever been. Vegeta infuriated her too much for there to be any actual feelings.

Besides, her heart was set on another.

Bulma left her lab, trying to calm herself down. She knew Goku could sense her emotions when she had little or no control over them, something to do with her ki. The last thing she wanted to do was explain Yamcha's phone call to him. Goku had enough to think about as it was, and she didn't want to press the issue of she and him as it were.

Suddenly, her father's head poked out of his lab, scaring her half to death as she let out a surprised squeal, making Dr. Briefs chuckle delightfully. "Dad!" she complained, holding a hand over her heart as she tried to take in deep long breaths and slow it's rhythm.

"Sorry Bulma, but I could hear you approaching and couldn't help myself." her father smiled, stepping out into the hallway with her. " I was hoping I could borrow your brain for a bit. I have a new invention I'm working on, but something seems to be missing and my daft old thinker just isn't helping."

"Actually Dad, I-"

"Don't worry, it won't take too long." Dr. Briefs cut Bulma off, gesturing for her to enter his lab. Bulma sighed. As long as it didn't take too long, she really wanted to see Goku and all these distractions simply weren't helping.

"There, all done!"

Bulma stood up up from the table she'd been leaning over, wiping her greasy hands on her lab-coat. Finally her father's new invention was finished, and it had only taken them-

Bulma glanced at the clock on the wall, her eyes widening.

-four hours.

She glanced at her father, who smiled apologetically. Bulma sighed, somehow she knew this would happen. Once she got stuck into a project, she wouldn't leave it until it was finished. Being a genius was a hindering sometimes, her mind was always working and the time would just slip by unnoticed. Luckily Bunny had brought them both a hearty lunch and they'd had a break to consume their food, but then had returned back to their work.

"Thank you for your help Bulma. Now why don't you relax and have a nice cool dip in the pool?" her father suggested, looking over their work carefully. Bulma's eyebrows raised slightly. That wasn't such a bad idea. "I think I might." she gave him a gracious grin, before leaving the room and heading to the laundry.

Disposing of her oil-stained jacket and quickly washing her hands in the basin, Bulma found one of her swimsuits, an orange two-piece with red horizontal stripes. She quickly slipped out of her clothes and underwear, adding them to the dirty laundry and dressed in her bikini. Her hands moved to her stomach. Was she getting bigger somehow? It seemed to protrude more than usual. Bulma shook her head. It was all in her mind.

She made her way outside, the heat rising as she stepped out of the door. Thankfully, her house was completely air-conditioned, so she hadn't been aware of the humidity outdoors.

Bulma made her way over to the pool, dipping a toe in first to check the water's temperature. "Perfect." she murmured to herself, before taking a step back and then proceeding to dive into the water.

Nearby, Goku was busy practising a series of punches and kicks when he noticed Bulma stepping outside and heading to the pool. She was dressed in a bikini, causing Goku's cheeks to flush, which was luckily unnoticeable due to the rest of his face being the same shade.

Every time he saw her, he was reminded of just how beautiful she was.

Yes, there were something there, and Bulma had admitted that she had feelings for him. But Goku had to focus on other things. The Androids' arrival was looming, and Goku had to make sure that he was in peak condition in order to defeat them. Once that was done, and his duty to protect the earth had been served, he could focus on personal things.

A splash broke him from his thoughts, and he couldn't help but wander over to the pool.

Bulma arose from the water, wiping her eyes before they settled on a pair of boots before her. She looked up to the owner and grinned. "Hey you." she exclaimed, swimming over to the shallow end so she could sit on one of the pool's steps. Then her mind clicked. "Actually, I've been meaning to talk to you." she remembered, her face frowning slightly as she tried to recall exactly what she wanted to talk to Goku about.

Goku raised his eyebrows in surprise. "What about?"

Cursing herself for not being able to remember, Bulma ran a hand through her wet hair. "I was just wondering how your training was going." she said instead, hoping Goku would not have noticed. To her luck, he didn't seem to. "Good. I think I'm getting stronger, it's a bit hard to tell when I don't have someone to spar with." he added, his features saddening.

"Why don't you take a break and have a dip in the pool with me?" Bulma changed the subject, trying her best to cheer him up. "The water is perfect." she added, giving him a playful splash. Goku managed a smile, and quickly pulled off his boots and pants, leaving him in just his underwear.

Without warning, he cannon-bombed into the pool, sending water flying everywhere. Bulma sat frozen on her step, amazed that there was still water in the pool. Goku surfaced, and looked around before letting out a laugh. "Oops, guess I am getting stronger then!"

Bulma gave him a smirk before splashing Goku again. He simply grinned at her and moved towards her, causing her to squeal and attempt to stand up and flee. But Goku was too quick and easily picked Bulma up, holding her over his head. Unable to control her giggles, she tried to free herself from his grasp, but to no avail – Goku gently threw her up into the air and then she splashed into the pool.

The night fell around them, but neither Bulma nor Goku seemed to notice, they were too busy enjoying each other's company. They now lay on two fold out sun-beds, each covered in a towel, looking up at the sky.

"I wish I could fly."

Goku turned to Bulma, her sudden words intriguing him. "But you fly in your plane all the time." he replied, confusion appearing in his features. Bulma moved her head to the side to look at him, a smile on her lips. "It's not the same though. You can fly and touch the clouds, feel the wind in your hair. It's a completely different experience." she explained, sighing.

Standing up from his seat, Goku held out a hand to Bulma. "Come with me." he spoke, his dark eyes locking with her blue ones. She said nothing in return, but stood up and took his hand, revelling in the warmth. Without warning, Goku picked Bulma up and moved her so that she stood directly in front of him, her toes resting on his feet, and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in even closer.

"Hang on tight." he murmured into her hair, and instinctively Bulma closed her eyes and wrapped her slender arms around his waist. Before she could respond, she felt wind rustling through her hair. She opened her eyes, and gasped, realising they were no longer on the ground. Her hold on Goku tightened, making him chuckle.

She looked down, her orbs widening at the sight below them. The city was now simply a mix of lights, shining up at them. She looked to Goku, who was watching her. "It's beautiful." she breathed, giving him her best smile. "It sure is." he replied, returning her smile with his own. Bulma felt her cheeks flush red, the closeness to him, the musky aroma of his scent, the way his eyes were fixated on her...

She cleared her throat. "Maybe we should head back? I've got an early morning tomorrow, a long day at the office." Bulma shifted uncomfortably in Goku's arms. His smile faltered. "Sure." he replied, and the two dropped lower in the sky until Goku's feet touched the grassy ground.

He let go of Bulma and she moved back from him. "Thanks Goku. That was amazing." she said graciously, grabbing her towel and wrapping it around her. The air up higher had been much cooler, and she'd forgotten she was dressed only in her swimsuit. "I'll see you tomorrow." she added, throwing him a quick smile and then making her way back inside the building.

Goku stood on the lawn, silent and confused. What had he done wrong? Maybe it was all too soon. Sighing, he picked up his pants and boots from beside the pool and put them back on. Training would clear his mind.

Back inside, Bulma raced to her bedroom, closing the door behind her. Being that close to Goku, it had hurt too much. He would let her know when he was ready, but she knew it wasn't now. She couldn't rush in, it would complicate things between them and the last thing she wanted was another rejection.

Bulma sat on her bed. Things were too confusing at the moment, she needed to give Goku his space. He would come to her when he was ready.

She just hoped it wouldn't be too long.


	13. Chapter 13

_**Author**__**'**__**s Note; **__Yes, I__'__m alive. Barely, but I__'__m here. Once again, personal problems have plagued me this year and made writing difficult, but I__'__ve managed to somehow get through it and finished a few chapters of each of my stories, ensuring that I__'__m keeping ahead so updates can become a bit more regular._

_I__'__m currently hoping to update every one of my stories once a month, maybe twice a month depending on how ahead I am on chapters/how high the demand is/how many reviews and alerts I receive. I__'__m not making any promises as I hate breaking them, but I will try._

_**FYI: **__I am changing the name of this story, having become aware that the most awful fanfiction known to mankind shares the same name. Seriously, type __'__worst fanfiction ever__'__ into google and it will appear. The new title is __'__Fix You__'__which I think suits it much better anyway. Sorry about the confusion readers._

Also, love this review by Kamekaito on the last chapter -

'They were in the clouds, and this is me:

"It's gonna happen. IT'S GONNA HAPP-"

and then they went to the ground.

-Dissappointing trombone sounds-'

_Definitely made me chuckle. I apologize for being so evil, but us authors have to get our kicks somehow, right?_

_Anyway, I__'__ll quit my yakking and get on to the story. Please enjoy the next chapter and remember, reviews are very much loved. : )_

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Bulma awoke with a start, clutching her chest with a clammy hand. Her dream had been so vivid, of a world where buildings lay in ruin, her friends were long gone and she lived every day in fear. Her hand moved to brush through her uniquely coloured tresses, and she wasn't surprised to find dampness there. She couldn't return to her slumber now, not after that.

The dim light that filtered into her room indicated that it was early morning. Bulma cast a glance at the calendar on her bedside wall, the day's date circled with a thick red line. She closed her eyes for a moment, letting the realization sink in. It was the twelfth of May. The day she had been dreading the last three years. The day the Androids were foretold to appear and begin to wreak havoc upon the world.

A low rumble from her stomach brought Bulma out of her thoughts. Before she could try and deal with the day's events and possibilities, she needed to eat. Maneuvering out from under her sheets, Bulma stood up from her bed before bending down to collect the night-gown that laid upon her bedroom floor. Slipping the garment over her arms and tying it at her waist with the gown's belt, she opened her bedroom door and headed to the kitchen in search of nourishment.

When she got there, she was surprised to see Goku sitting at the dining table, downing yet again another copious amount of food. He hadn't noticed her yet, or made any indication that he was aware of her presence. His concentration was solely on consuming his breakfast.

Not wanting to make herself known just yet, Bulma stood back, admiring him silently with her blue orbs. He was dressed in a brand new gi, which was obvious to her because there were no rips, tears or stains to be seen. His boots were clean, his raven hair in it's usual state of unruly spikes. The mark of a Saiyan.

Bulma sighed and stepped forward into the kitchen, revealing herself to Goku. His face lit up as his eyes met her form, and he quickly swallowed his current mouthful of food before greeting her cheerily. "Morning Bulma!" he exclaimed, setting down his chopsticks. "Good morning Goku." the teal-hared beauty replied, inwardly frowning at how formal her response had sounded.

Shrugging it off, Bulma reached into a nearby cupboard, pulling out a simple white bowl and setting it on the counter before her. She then grabbed a nearby box of cereal, some kind of sugary flakes that her father refused to abstain from, despite the fact it was clearly a product aimed for children. She opened up the box and poured the cereal into the bowl, pausing for a moment to examine just how full the bowl was. _Nope, not enough_. She needed a big breakfast for the day she was about to have. Not as big as Goku's obviously, consuming that much food would most likely make her explode. The cereal poured forth once more, almost filling the bowl to the brim until she stopped, folding the box's lid and putting it away once again.

Although she was too preoccupied with making her breakfast to notice, Goku's obsidian orbs watched Bulma with every move she made. It was a big day, an important day, and he was worried about her. What would happen to her if things got out of hand and none of them returned home? The thought of her having to deal with such a burden alone made his chest hurt.

She appeared before him at the table, setting down her rather full bowl or cereal, the silver handle of a spoon sticking through the top, an empty glass and a pitcher of cold milk. "You don't mind if I join you?" she asked, already knowing that he would never deny her of such a thing. He shook his head, making a smile grace her lips as she sat down opposite him at the table.

"How long have you been awake?" she inquired, pouring milk into her glass before using the rest to cover her cereal. "Since dawn." Goku admitted, picking up his chopsticks once more. "I did some quick stretches and a bit of training, then showered and came here." he explained simply, before shovelling some more rice into his mouth as she spooned some cereal into her own.

There was silence between them, the only sounds heard being that of chewing and swallowing, of chopsticks and spoons scraping against porcelain. They both knew what was ahead of them today, of the seriousness. He didn't want to ruin the mood by speaking of it, and neither did she. So they settled for a comfortable silence.

Once Bulma's bowl was empty and Goku's numerous plates scraped clean, she stood and took as many of the dishes as she could hold to the kitchen, placing them on the counter as she opened up the dishwasher. As she loaded the dirty dishes, Goku came up behind her with the rest of them, and helped her. Once the dishwasher shelves were full, the door was closed and the machine was turned on, the gentle whirring noise humming.

Bulma leaned against a counter, her eyes looking to Goku. She was worried about him, especially everything that had been foretold. Were the Androids really so powerful that they could destroy the Earth's strongest warriors and then go on to ruthlessly demolish cities? The thought that they were destined to kill all of her friends and force her to live in fear was chilling.

How had someone made such scientific humanoid machines? Her father was the smartest mind she knew, and he was nowhere close to even thinking of that kind of technology. Whoever had created them must have a brilliant mind. A brilliant, _sadistic_ mind to let them bring havoc to the world.

"When are you heading off?" she asked reluctantly, not wanting to hear the answer. "Soon." Goku replied, facing Bulma and watching her intently with his dark eyes. All she could do was hope that today would not go as the lavender-haired boy had predicted. Her eyes grew wide as she remembered - she had wanted to ask Goku about him and now was the perfect time.

She opened her mouth to speak, but the words never came as Goku moved forward and engulfed her with his strong arms, wrapping them around her petite frame. Her slender arms wrapped around his torso in return, her face buried in his chest. The question was lost in her thoughts as she hugged him tighter, minutes passing as they held the embrace.

"Be careful." she murmured into his clothing.

"I will." he whispered into her ear, his hot breath fanning the side of her neck.

Suddenly Goku moved back from her slightly, one hand moving to her chin to tilt Bulma's face up so he could see her properly. She blinked at him as he leaned forward, brushing his lips against her forehead ever so gently. Before she had a chance to react properly or say anything, his fingers moved to his forehead and without another word, he disappeared.

* * *

Goku reappeared in a familiar setting, Mount Paozu. He took in a deep breath, the aroma of home inviting. Before him stood the white building that he had one called home, it now looked empty and cold. He moved forward and placed a hand upon the structure, wishing for a moment that everything could return to normal. Yet at the same time, he didn't. His old life had been a lie. He and Chi-Chi's marriage had been loveless, the only true tie between them being Gohan.

Two energy signals were approaching him quickly, and Goku turned around just in time to see two familiar figures, one tall and an intriguing shade of green, the other smaller and running towards him at top speed. Goku knelt down and opened his arms as Gohan rushed into them, the father and son sharing a strong embrace. "I missed you Dad." Gohan whispered into Goku's shoulder. "I missed you too son." the older Saiyan replied, rubbing his son's back in comfort.

The two drew apart, Goku returning to his feet and looking to Piccolo. "I'm glad you guys are here." he commented, looking to Gohan before returning his gaze to his former enemy. "But how on earth did you convince Chi-Chi to allow Gohan to come along with us today?" he inquired, clearly amazed that such a feat had occurred.

Piccolo folded his arms and sighed. "She refused of course, but it seems her father isn't as moronic as I had originally thought. He managed to coax her out of the house with a pass to a nearby day-spa, allowing Gohan to participate today." the green warrior explained, stoic as always.

Goku grinned. He had always like his father-in-law, despite Chi-Chi's constant insistence that Gohan study all the time, the Ox King had always known that fighting to save the world was much more important. Of course, he usually was unable to stand up to his fiery daughter, but the fact that he tried was enough to earn Goku's upmost respect.

"Well, we should head off. Don't wanna be too late!" Goku announced, earning a nod from both Gohan and Piccolo before the three shot up into the sky and headed in the direction of South City.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at Capsule Corporation, Bulma paced back and forth in her room. She was upset at Goku for leaving so abruptly, and her curiosity was peaking as she thought of the Androids. Human-like cyborgs was an intriguing idea, and Bulma couldn't help but want to see them for herself. If she could get an idea on how they were built, how they functioned, there was a chance she and her father could build one of their own and make a mark in the scientific community. What a boost for her father's company! The possibilities seemed endless!

Making up her mind, Bulma went in search of clothes. Having already showered that morning, she was dressed only in a comfortable pair of underpants and a matching bra. She didn't want to dress too fancy, she was only planning to stay there for a short amount of time, take a look and then return home. The plan was simple and she wouldn't endanger herself, so the others would have no reason to worry. She wasn't an idiot, afterall.

Bulma's outfit consisted of faded blue jeans, a red t-shirt bearing the logo of her father's company in white and a pair of red and white trainers. Comfortable and casual. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, admiring herself for a moment. Her hair had grown quite long, cascading like an aquamarine waterfall midway down her back. She couldn't remember the last time it had been such a length, she'd just had no reason nor desire to cut it.

Satisfied with what she saw, Bulma left her bedroom and headed outside, stopping quickly into her lab to find a capsule that would help her reach her destination quickly. Once outside, she clicked the top of the capsule before throwing it away from herself, where it exploded and turned into a small plane. Hopping inside and closing the lid, she turned on the engine.

She needed to get there before Goku, otherwise he would try to stop her somehow. The plane rose slowly into the sky, and once Bulma was high enough she hit the acceleration and flew off into the direction of South City.

_**P.S; **__I know this chapter is somewhat short and not much happened, but it's leading to the chapters ahead. I also wrote this out and lost it all, having to start from scratch so I know it's not my best work but I did try. To make up for it, the next chapter will also be out sometime this month so you won't have to wait as long. Please bear with me!_

And a quick thankyou to Tellemicus Sundance for becoming my beta and helping me with this chapter. :D


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